After Job had lost everything including his health three so called friends show up to supposedly comfort him. I don't think that they did a very good job. Job got bad advice from a good friends. In chapter 4 and verse 8 the first friend says:
8 My experience shows that those who plant trouble and cultivate evil will harvest the same.
He in reality told Job the reason for his troubles was punishment for something he had done wrong. We know that was not the case. So in your life be careful in thinking that when something bad happens to someone that they have it coming. Sometime perhaps they do other times maybe not.
Here is some more bad advice from his dear friend in chapter 5
20 He will save you from death in time of famine, from the power of the sword in time of war. 21 You will be safe from slander and have no fear when destruction comes.
22 You will laugh at destruction and famine; wild animals will not terrify you.
23 You will be at peace with the stones of the field, and its wild animals will be at peace with you. 24 You will know that your home is safe. When you survey your possessions, nothing will be missing. 25 You will have many children; your descendants will be as plentiful as grass! 26 You will go to the grave at a ripe old age, like a sheaf of grain harvested at the proper time!
Can God do all of these things? Of course. Will he, maybe not. One of the biggest problems with some in Christian circles, including Job's friend here is thinking that just because you are a Christian everything will be smooth sailing. We know that is not the case for Job. In fact if you are a Christian you should expect trouble. The what are called the health and wealth preachers want you to think that as soon as you accept Christ you will be immediately blessed. You will, but not necessarily with health and wealth. For these people who expect these types of blessings, when trouble come they blame God and the relationship ends.
So watch out for bad advice from good friends and if you are a friend make sure you give good advice. Know your Bible so you can give good advice and detect bad advice.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
It will only hurt for a minute.
In reading Job 2 today I found something that really must be considered. Verses 8-10 say:
8 Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. 9 His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.”
10 But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.
These words come after Satan strikes Job again. After taking everything Job has including his children he now has his health taken from him. In this we still see Job's resolve. Verse 9 is very interesting we don't know much about Mrs. Job but we have to keep in mind that she lost everything as well. Perhaps she was not as prepared as Job was which would be the reason for her response. We just don't know. In verse 10 it is important to note that Job didn't call his wife a foolish women he just said she talked like one. Pretty impressive knowing what he was going through.
However the key words in these verses are at the end of verse 10 when Job said "Should we accept only the good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?" Very wise words. God knows everything that we want, but he also knows everything that we need. We may not consider some of the things we need to very good at all. Remember as a kid having to get a shot? That is not something that I wanted it was painful. But my parents knew it was something that I needed. I still have the image of the nurse her name was Merna (not sure of the spelling) walking into the little room with her hands behind her back. I may have only been 5 or 6 but I wasn't stupid I knew there was a needle behind her back and it was going to hurt. Then she had the nerve to say it will only hurt for a minute.
So when something bad is happening to you it could be either the result of a sinful world, the result of your sin, or a shot to keep something worse from happening to you. Sometimes the bad things we go through are like an immunization they protect us from something that could come later and we will never know in this life what they were. In a sense the things we go through now will only hurt for a minute compared to eternity. Just remember: God not only knows what you want. He knows and gives you what you need.
8 Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. 9 His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.”
10 But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.
These words come after Satan strikes Job again. After taking everything Job has including his children he now has his health taken from him. In this we still see Job's resolve. Verse 9 is very interesting we don't know much about Mrs. Job but we have to keep in mind that she lost everything as well. Perhaps she was not as prepared as Job was which would be the reason for her response. We just don't know. In verse 10 it is important to note that Job didn't call his wife a foolish women he just said she talked like one. Pretty impressive knowing what he was going through.
However the key words in these verses are at the end of verse 10 when Job said "Should we accept only the good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?" Very wise words. God knows everything that we want, but he also knows everything that we need. We may not consider some of the things we need to very good at all. Remember as a kid having to get a shot? That is not something that I wanted it was painful. But my parents knew it was something that I needed. I still have the image of the nurse her name was Merna (not sure of the spelling) walking into the little room with her hands behind her back. I may have only been 5 or 6 but I wasn't stupid I knew there was a needle behind her back and it was going to hurt. Then she had the nerve to say it will only hurt for a minute.
So when something bad is happening to you it could be either the result of a sinful world, the result of your sin, or a shot to keep something worse from happening to you. Sometimes the bad things we go through are like an immunization they protect us from something that could come later and we will never know in this life what they were. In a sense the things we go through now will only hurt for a minute compared to eternity. Just remember: God not only knows what you want. He knows and gives you what you need.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Tornado Watch
The book of Job is one of my very favorites in the entire Bible. Today in reading Job 1 one things really stood out to me this time and it is at the very end of verse 5 where I believe that Job put himself under a tornado watch so he would be ready for the real thing.
5 When these celebrations ended—sometimes after several days—Job would purify his children. He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to himself, “Perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice.
This was Job's regular practice he worshiped God regularly in the good times. He either knowingly or unknowingly was preparing himself for what was to come. The big one.
Another key to the Book of Job is the fact the God says to Satan in verse 8 that Job is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.” Which prompts the following conversation.
9 Satan replied to the Lord, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. 10 You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! 11 But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!”
12 “All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.
What if God said the same thing to Satan today about you? I'll have to admit it is a scary thought. The comforting thing is that the LORD does put restrictions on Satan. We may not see that in today's world but it is true. God is in complete control.
Verses 20 thru 22 is where we find out that Job was prepared.
20 Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. 21 He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” 22 In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.
In case you are not familiar with the story of Job he loses everything he owns and his children are all killed in a tornado all on the same day. When you read verses 20 - 22 you may wonder how in the world could I guy ever react like this. It all goes back to verse 5. Job prepared himself for the storms in life during the good times so he was ready. Just because you are a Christian does not mean that life is smooth and easy. It in fact may be very difficult because of it. However if you are prepared you will still grieve, but you will still be able to praise the name of the LORD and not sin by blaming God. If you are a Christian you should be under a tornado watch. Job is proof that just by being a Christan means that conditions are favorable for tornado's to develop.
5 When these celebrations ended—sometimes after several days—Job would purify his children. He would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them. For Job said to himself, “Perhaps my children have sinned and have cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular practice.
This was Job's regular practice he worshiped God regularly in the good times. He either knowingly or unknowingly was preparing himself for what was to come. The big one.
Another key to the Book of Job is the fact the God says to Satan in verse 8 that Job is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.” Which prompts the following conversation.
9 Satan replied to the Lord, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. 10 You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! 11 But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!”
12 “All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.
What if God said the same thing to Satan today about you? I'll have to admit it is a scary thought. The comforting thing is that the LORD does put restrictions on Satan. We may not see that in today's world but it is true. God is in complete control.
Verses 20 thru 22 is where we find out that Job was prepared.
20 Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. 21 He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” 22 In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.
In case you are not familiar with the story of Job he loses everything he owns and his children are all killed in a tornado all on the same day. When you read verses 20 - 22 you may wonder how in the world could I guy ever react like this. It all goes back to verse 5. Job prepared himself for the storms in life during the good times so he was ready. Just because you are a Christian does not mean that life is smooth and easy. It in fact may be very difficult because of it. However if you are prepared you will still grieve, but you will still be able to praise the name of the LORD and not sin by blaming God. If you are a Christian you should be under a tornado watch. Job is proof that just by being a Christan means that conditions are favorable for tornado's to develop.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Shhhhhh Keep This To Yourself.
Shhhhhh keep this to yourself if you don't want to get better.
There are two things in life that society tells us not to talk about and they are faith and politics. But tell me what two things affect your life more. I think we are told this so we won't go out a speak of our faith and it just plays on the fact that I think most of us tend to be very private people when it comes to things in our lives, especially the things that we struggle with. We tell ourselves,that is no body's business but our own. In short our pride gets in the way of our recovery. Just consider what James 5:16 says:
16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
You may think why would I confess my sins to someone else and pray with them. It says so that you may be healed. Is your pride so big that it prevents you from being healed?
When it says the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. I don't know about you but I'm going out and finding as many people that I can to pray for me. Surely one of them will be righteous and earnest in their prayers for me.
This takes me back to one of the statements people make that just drives me crazy and that is you don't have to go to church to be a Christian. Again technically that is correct but realistically it's not. A good church family is where you can find those people whom you can trust enough to confess your sins to and have them pray for you.
There are two things in life that society tells us not to talk about and they are faith and politics. But tell me what two things affect your life more. I think we are told this so we won't go out a speak of our faith and it just plays on the fact that I think most of us tend to be very private people when it comes to things in our lives, especially the things that we struggle with. We tell ourselves,that is no body's business but our own. In short our pride gets in the way of our recovery. Just consider what James 5:16 says:
16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
You may think why would I confess my sins to someone else and pray with them. It says so that you may be healed. Is your pride so big that it prevents you from being healed?
When it says the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. I don't know about you but I'm going out and finding as many people that I can to pray for me. Surely one of them will be righteous and earnest in their prayers for me.
This takes me back to one of the statements people make that just drives me crazy and that is you don't have to go to church to be a Christian. Again technically that is correct but realistically it's not. A good church family is where you can find those people whom you can trust enough to confess your sins to and have them pray for you.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
It's Not What You Did. It's What You Didn't Do.
I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't cheat on my wife, I don't swear, steal, murder, embezzle or do drugs. I do however go to church every Sunday, I am part of a small group, I am an elder in my church. I meet with my Pastor once a week. One would think that I am just an overall "good" guy." I would at times be inclined to agree, if it was not for the most convicting (at least for me) verse in the entire Bible, James 4:17 which says:
17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
One of my jobs where I work is to enforce the rules. When I walk up to someone the most common response I get even before I say a word is "I didn't do it" most times my answer is: "I know the reason I need to talk to you is because of what you didn't do."
That is also what this verse is saying because when we think of sin we think about the bad things that we do. These are called sins of commission the bad things we do. What James addresses here are called sins of omission, the good things we fail to do.
Out of all of the things I listed in the beginning which made me out to be a "good guy" I am afraid the list of things I knew I should do and did not would be much, much longer.
For all of us the list could be endless. Helping someone in need, praying more, giving a kind word, encouraging someone, sharing the Gospel, stopping gossip, reading God's word, telling someone they are wrong, using the gifts God has given you, serving in your community. You get the idea.
Here is the question you must ask yourself.
What do I know that I should be doing that I am not?
Remember every time you don't it's a sin.
17 Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
One of my jobs where I work is to enforce the rules. When I walk up to someone the most common response I get even before I say a word is "I didn't do it" most times my answer is: "I know the reason I need to talk to you is because of what you didn't do."
That is also what this verse is saying because when we think of sin we think about the bad things that we do. These are called sins of commission the bad things we do. What James addresses here are called sins of omission, the good things we fail to do.
Out of all of the things I listed in the beginning which made me out to be a "good guy" I am afraid the list of things I knew I should do and did not would be much, much longer.
For all of us the list could be endless. Helping someone in need, praying more, giving a kind word, encouraging someone, sharing the Gospel, stopping gossip, reading God's word, telling someone they are wrong, using the gifts God has given you, serving in your community. You get the idea.
Here is the question you must ask yourself.
What do I know that I should be doing that I am not?
Remember every time you don't it's a sin.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
You had better read this today.
With yesterday being Friday one of things that I hear people ask each other is "What are your plans for the weekend?" I never thought that much about this question until I read James 4:13-16 which says:
13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.
These verses were the reason for today's title being "You had better read this today" because the problem lies in verse 13 when it says we will. Really are you sure? Who says? We tend to do the same things. We can suffer from the same problem like the guy who sings for the Black Eyed Peas. You know, Will I Am. No, I not picking on the guy personally but when I think of his name (if that is his real name) We too tend too say I Am going to do this, I am going to do that, I am going to this place or that place. Again really? Who says? When you say this you are tending to boast in your own plans and then when they get changes you may get all worked up, dejected or depressed. As much as you think about your weekend and plan the things you are going to do, you are not in control. How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Life changes very fast. You could be in a horrific crash, you could get devastating news about a loved one, You could die in your sleep, or die countless other ways. You really need to stop and think about who is really in control of your tomorrow. I've got a news flash for you it's not you. It is of course Jesus.
It will be really hard but my goal is to be less like Will i Am and become more like Will i Am Not. I am not in control. When asked of my plans my goal is to say I am, less and Lord willing more. Besides what ever you do this weekend either good or bad God allows it.
13 Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” 14 How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. 15 What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” 16 Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.
These verses were the reason for today's title being "You had better read this today" because the problem lies in verse 13 when it says we will. Really are you sure? Who says? We tend to do the same things. We can suffer from the same problem like the guy who sings for the Black Eyed Peas. You know, Will I Am. No, I not picking on the guy personally but when I think of his name (if that is his real name) We too tend too say I Am going to do this, I am going to do that, I am going to this place or that place. Again really? Who says? When you say this you are tending to boast in your own plans and then when they get changes you may get all worked up, dejected or depressed. As much as you think about your weekend and plan the things you are going to do, you are not in control. How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Life changes very fast. You could be in a horrific crash, you could get devastating news about a loved one, You could die in your sleep, or die countless other ways. You really need to stop and think about who is really in control of your tomorrow. I've got a news flash for you it's not you. It is of course Jesus.
It will be really hard but my goal is to be less like Will i Am and become more like Will i Am Not. I am not in control. When asked of my plans my goal is to say I am, less and Lord willing more. Besides what ever you do this weekend either good or bad God allows it.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Don't Attack, Just Resist
Whether you want to admit it or not we are at war with the Devil. When you fight against the Devil the Bible does not say to go attack him. We don't need to because he as already been defeated. He is still very very dangerous and the Bible does tell us how to fight this war. James 4:7 says resist the Devil and he will flee from you. Now granted it can be tough but again do not engage him just resist. Ephesians 6 says the same thing
10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we[c] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.[d] 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.[e] 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Stand firm, resist, and stand your ground that what you need to do. Remember when Satan attacks resist and he will flee from you.
10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we[c] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.[d] 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.[e] 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Stand firm, resist, and stand your ground that what you need to do. Remember when Satan attacks resist and he will flee from you.
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