SPACKLE DUST
For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:6
I recently patched a wall in our living room. We received a power recliner as a gift, and the kids love to raise and lower it over, and over, and over again. It is also incredibly powerful—so powerful, in fact, that it reclined right into the drywall, making a hole in it. Once I discovered the newly formed cavern, I cut out the ruined drywall, replaced it with a patch, and applied spackle.
This requires a multi-day process of applying compound, sanding, reapplying, and sanding again until it is perfectly smooth. Once I started, I noticed dozens of other nicks and scratches on the wall that needed attention. By the time I finished with my putty knife, practically the entire wall was covered. When I finished sanding, white spackle dust coated the chair, the couch, the coffee table, and the carpet. It was an absolute mess.
Sometimes, that is exactly how my walk with Christ feels. Jesus continuously fixes and smooths out my character, which can be a messy process. I sin over, and over, and over again, and He faithfully forgives. The refining work of sanctification feels like endless spackling and sanding, leaving me covered in dust.
But I also know that when the project—me—is finally complete, Jesus will have done a perfect job. Even after I finished my wall, I could still see the imperfections that my lack of skill could not cover. My living room wall is flawed because I am an imperfect builder. Thankfully, my Savior is the perfect craftsman, and He always finishes the good work He starts. Don’t get discouraged by the spackle dust, He’s not done with you.
Ethan Kallberg
THE SWEETEST METAPHOR
This mystery is great, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:32
What human relationship is more profound or intimate than that of husband and wife? “And they shall become one flesh” (Gen.2:24, Matt.19:5). Holy Matrimony is the first divinely created association instituted amongst men: a special unity of persons, formed in God, generating an attachment that is both lasting and covenantal, and which transcends other social/familial ties. Indeed, an entire volume within the Sacred Library is presented to celebrate this most joyful expression of intimacy—The Song of Songs!
In both Testaments, God employs sacred marriage as a precious and profound illustration that God genuinely desires an intimate personal unity with His People. In the Old Testament the covenantal relationship between God and Israel was beautifully likened to a marital relationship: “And I will betroth you to Me forever” (Hosea 2:19a).
Similarly, the New Testament mystery of the Church is called the Bride of Christ. Marvelously, even as Adam was completed in Eve, so too, the Church is designated to functionally “complete” the Self-sufficient Christ (Eph. 1:23)! It is important to note that in Eph. 5:22-33, the relationship between Christ and His Bride is the greater and ultimate fulfillment-reality (or antitype) to which the institution of human marriage—the lesser type (or earthly shadow)—corresponds. Think of it! Our intimate union with our earthly spouse—as great as it is—is but a mere picture or shadow of Christ’s loving relational union with His Church! What an enormous privilege and lofty challenge for us, as we are called, before the eyes of men and angels, to model the sublime pattern of the Christ/Church relationship within our own homes. Let us take great care in how we treat our designated spouses!
Terry L. Reese
THE PRETENDERS
Beware of doing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. Therefore, when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be glorified by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. Matthew 6:1-2
Numbers 32:23 says, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Sometime back, The New York Times ran the following article. “The thief was sure that the church was a safe hideout. Just inside he spied a rope up to the garret. Up he climbed only to hear the church bell ringing his whereabouts…!” “A Mexico City man snatched a woman’s purse and ran into a doorway to hide. It turned out to be the doorway of the police station, where he was questioned and later identified by his victim…!” “Shoplifting in a department store in Rochester, New York, a man picked up an alarm clock and headed for the nearest exit. The clock concealed under his coat went off before he could get out of the store, and brought the detectives running…!” “A Canadian who had a custom-built radio stolen from his automobile advertised in the local paper for a custom-built radio. The first person to contact him about the advertisement was the thief…!” “A Glasgow pickpocket got a 60-day prison term after trying his luck on an excursion boat carrying 20 police officers and their wives…!” “Police in Palo Alto, CA seized a suspect as he stood in a post office admiring his wanted poster.” “Be sure your sin will find you out.”
Jesus was the ultimate expert in observing and pointing out the sins of people. Now, why would He do that? He did that to bring the truth to light and call the sinner to repentance. Check out the song, “Mr. Simon,” by Ken Medema on YouTube
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_iCxfJL8ys).
Ike Graham
UNIFIED
Then the seventh month came, and the sons of Israel were in the cities. And the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem. Ezra 3:1
I have recently been learning how to tune pianos. Much of the work is done by measuring sound waves; the length of each sound wave determines the pitch. The longer the wavelength, the lower the pitch, while the shorter the wavelength, the higher the pitch. Many of the piano keys have three strings. Therefore to properly tune the piano, all three strings must match perfectly for one clear sound. Failing to do so results in a warbling or muddy sound. But when all three strings match perfectly, there is a clear, brilliant sound.
Ezra records that as the Jews returned to Jerusalem after the 70 years of exile there was an overwhelming sense of unity – they were “gathered together as one man”. Such unity could only have been achieved because they were united toward a common goal – reinstating the public worship of God through the construction of the altar for sacrifices.
Such unity was also evident in the early church. “And when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all together in one place” (Acts 2:1). Paul encourages the same unity in our churches: “if there is any fellowship of the Spirit… fulfill my joy, that you think the same way, by maintaining the same love, being united in spirit, thinking on one purpose” (Philippians 2:1-2).
When you gather for worship, do you strive to bring unity to your local church? Do you willingly set aside your own ambitions for the good of others? As you gather, remember that the primary purpose in life is to direct all worship to God, not self.
Philip Moeller
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Yahweh is my Shepherd, I shall not want. Psalm 23:1
I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd lays down
His life for the sheep. John 10:11
A young Muslim man in Chad had accepted Jesus as his Savior. He worked with his father who owned several donkeys used to transport merchandise to herders. He desired to share the Truth with some of those animal owners, so he invited us to take him to an encampment where one of his customers was at the time. This customer and his father owned hundreds of cattle, sheep, and goats. They had settled for a time at a place where water was still available during the dry season.
It was the month of Ramadan, during which Muslims fast during the daylight hours. This fast is total—no food or drink. They are permitted to eat and drink during the night, so they often make up for the daytime deprivation. The man our friend wanted us to meet was reclining on his cot that morning, tired from a night of gorging.
He welcomed us into his open-sided tent. As we got acquainted, he pointed to a newborn lamb under that shelter and told his son to bring the lamb to him. He then told the boy to bring him a hot ember from the fire. He touched the ember to a spot on the lamb, explaining that from several feet away, he had seen a tick on the animal. Though he was tired, and in a sense off-duty, he cared for the lamb.
We witnessed the actions of a good shepherd. His interest was in part economic; he saw to a need of one of hundreds in his herds. We, Jesus’ sheep, are cared for by the Good Shepherd. His interest in us is not economic. He is motivated by a love so great that He purchased us with His blood. We are redeemed “with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:19). How precious to know that our Shepherd personally knows our names, our needs, our concerns. He never sleeps and is never too tired to hear us.
Les Vnasdale
MISSTEPS OR STEPS?
The footsteps of a man are established
by Yahweh, And He delights in his way.
When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong,
Because Yahweh is the One who sustains his hand.
Psalm 37:23-24
One particular set of missteps illustrates how the Lord has always had ahold of my hand. As a freshman in high school I began two years of Latin. Definitely a misstep as my grade was on a continual slide. As I approached the state regents’ exam at the end of year two, my teacher told me I didn’t have a prayer of passing. (I studied hard and got an 86.) My last two years I took French, which was a piece of cake after Latin. But that led to another misstep as my freshman year in college, in overconfidence, I signed up for French II. That was a disaster as the first day of class neither the professor nor students spoke any English. I wasn’t that good. The French I classes were full so I had to skip that year. The next year I was the only sophomore in my French I class with all the freshmen.
But God had my hand through this sequence of missteps. At the end of French I the professor offered his classes the opportunity to experience an authentic French meal at a nearby restaurant. I attended. During dinner a young lady from another class, in a misstep, dropped a glass of water in her lap (though not spilling a drop). When I turned to see what the commotion was I saw her. And my heart went “boom”! Three years later we married.
Now I look back at those missteps and see that the Lord had my hand (and hers) all along. He was imperceptibly but surely establishing my steps. Take a few minutes to think back on how God used your missteps. If you get a chance, I’d like to hear about it.
Jeffrey Eno
THE TICKET OF REPROOF
My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him. Hebrews 12:5
The second reason God allows difficult circumstances in our lives is to address personal sin. When we ignore His teaching or respond sinfully to His lessons, our heavenly Father may choose to reprove and correct us.
Think of it like driving over the speed limit. If a police officer pulls you over and issues a ticket, that fine is a formal, written reproof. Though unpleasant, it is ultimately God’s grace. It flashes a warning light on dangerous behavior that could have harmed you or innocent people on the road. The ticket confronts you with your mistake and grants you a vital opportunity to repent.
Scripture shows us that God's reproof comes to the proud and the wandering alike. King Nebuchadnezzar arrogantly boasted about the vast Babylonian empire built by his own hands. In response, God sent a sobering prophetic dream, recorded in Daniel 4, warning the king that he would be driven from mankind to live like a beast until he recognized that the Most High rules the kingdoms of men.
Similarly, King David tried to hide his terrible sins of adultery and murder. God sent Nathan the prophet to confront him using a parable about a rich man who ruthlessly stole a poor man’s only beloved lamb. When David reacted in righteous anger against the thief, Nathan boldly declared, “You are the man!” (2 Samuel 12:7). God exposed David’s secret evil to bring him to a place of brokenness and restoration.
When hardships enter your life, do not immediately despair. Ask the Holy Spirit if there is an area where you have drifted from His path. God’s reproof is never meant to condemn you, but to pull you over safely and point you back toward holiness.
Ethan Kallberg
NON-RESISTANT OR NON-VIOLENT?
You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
Matthew 5:38-39
We say that we believe in non-resistance, but is that really the best English term? Jesus is not talking about categorical evil and letting it overrun your life. The implication is that we have done something wrong. This was implied earlier in Matthew 5:23-24. Your brother has something against you because you have offended him/her. Maybe we didn’t do something wrong but that is the way it is perceived. That’s why we are attacked. In that case, we are not to take personal vengeance. Nor are we to take justice into our own hands. God does not want individual vigilantes. Can you call 911? Of course! It might be a situation where you have intervened to help someone being assaulted and you take some blows.
Jesus is not condoning domestic violence. He is the One who reached out to the Samaritan woman. He is the One who came to the defense of the woman caught in adultery. If you are being abused physically, verbally, or sexually then you need to tell someone. There is hope, help and healing available. If you are in such a situation, don’t think, “Where is God?” Rather, tell God’s people. This passage says don’t take vengeance into your own hands. Instead, tell those who can help you.
The owners of Hobby Lobby, the Green family, sued the U.S. Government over Obamacare trying to make them support abortion. Did they sin by resisting government “law?” The Green family argued. “We won’t pay for any abortive products. We believe life begins at conception.” This is similar to what Jesus did. Jesus defended the Father’s honor by driving the moneychangers from the temple. Jesus took action for the sake of someone else. That is what the Green family did. They took action on behalf of the unborn. Let us also defend the unborn. In the Matthew passage, Jesus is talking about personal vengeance and vendettas.
Ike Graham
TIME WILL TELL
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
"I wish I could be a fly on the wall." Have you ever said that? It's an expression that means we would like to be a listener or an observer of an action that takes place when those involved think that we aren't within sight or earshot.
I remember way back when I was in high school, there were a handful of guys who took great joy in picking on me, or on any other guys, who weren't in the "in crowd". They were the ones who enjoyed walking near the edge; they did all of the things that I didn't do, and I guess that is why they didn't like me.
Graduation and life came, and we went our separate ways. Then, at our twentieth high school reunion, one of these past pests came up to me after I had offered the prayer before the meal. He didn't make some snide comment or pour the chip dip over my head. Instead, he boldly apologized for the way that he had treated me during high school. I have never learned the reason for the change in his attitude. I hope that the Lord had reached him and changed his rebellious heart. Whatever the cause, I would love to have been that fly on the wall when it happened.
It seems that our conscience can be restored even after it is gone. Like Christ resurrecting the dead, a man who has no care about others can be given a sensitive heart. He can be allowed to live in the light. I wonder how many enemies I will one day greet in heaven whom Jesus likewise redeemed; will this apology be part of the judgment seat, or the Great White Throne? If so, I don't think there will be a fly on the wall. In the meantime, we had better learn to love our enemies.
Davy L. Troxel
BEWARE OF DRIFTING
...we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away. How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? That salvation, first spoken by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.
Hebrews 2:1, 3–4
Over the years once great seminaries and denominations have drifted from the faith. Indeed, Jude, even in the first century, warns us to “contend earnestly for the faith, which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3-4). Jude warns of three errors characterized by the way of Cain, the greed of Balaam and rebellion of Korah. We need to keep our eyes on the Word of God. It is our landmark, so to speak, that defines our precious truth.
Years ago while at Myrtle Beach with my young family, Joanne and I would take turns watching our young girls splash in water and dig in the sand. Meanwhile the free mate would do a little swimming in the deeper water. It was the first time I had experienced the extra floating buoyancy. I imagined being shipwrecked and hoping that Jaws would not find me. After a bit, I swam to the hotel lined beach. I didn't see my family, so I went to our towels by the life guard chair. They were gone! Fighting my panic, I lifted my eyes to heaven and prayed for help. At that time I realized I was not in front of the Sheraton Hotel. I had drifted a tenth of a mile.
Had I not remembered my landmark, I would not have realized I had drifted. Friends, know your Bible for in it are the words of life in Jesus Christ.
Russ Sumpson
TRUE FREEDOM
This is what Yahweh has commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, ‘Let them marry whoever is good in their sight; only they must marry within the family
of the tribe of their father. Numbers 36:6
Zelophehad had died without any sons. These daughters had asked Moses if they would be able to inherit the land that was due their father (see Numbers 27:1-14). God said the women’s request was good; they should be given their father’s land. But now in Numbers 36 other men are concerned that if these daughters marry someone outside their tribe, the land will be transferred to another tribe. Verse 6 is God’s answer. The daughters are free to marry anyone they want, as long as they are within the tribe.
At first, it might seem ‘restricting’ to only be able to marry within the tribe, but this provides a good example of the freedom we have in Christ. Freedom is often described as the opportunity to do whatever you want. But that is not true biblical freedom. That kind of freedom is actually enslavement to your lusts and passions.
True biblical freedom is the opportunity to do everything for the glory of the Lord in every aspect of life. The boundaries God places around us that restrict us at times are actually for our good. As we stay within those boundaries, we are then able to enjoy freedom in the way God intended.
Some have described the moral will of God as a circle. Within that circle there are plenty of choices that can be made. As long as we stay in that circle, we have tremendous freedom to enjoy the many blessings God grants us in our life. But the second we step outside of that circle, we are stepping into the slavery of sin. May the Lord strengthen us to live in the blessings of true freedom.
Joshua Steiner
NON-RESISTANT OR NON-VIOLENT?
You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
Matthew 5:38-39
We say that we believe in non-resistance, but is that really the best English term? Jesus is not talking about categorical evil and letting it overrun your life. The implication is that we have done something wrong. This was implied earlier in Matthew 5:23-24. Your brother has something against you because you have offended him/her. Maybe we didn’t do something wrong but that is the way it is perceived. That’s why we are attacked. In that case, we are not to take personal vengeance. Nor are we to take justice into our own hands. God does not want individual vigilantes. Can you call 911? Of course! It might be a situation where you have intervened to help someone being assaulted and you take some blows.
Jesus is not condoning domestic violence. He is the One who reached out to the Samaritan woman. He is the One who came to the defense of the woman caught in adultery. If you are being abused physically, verbally, or sexually then you need to tell someone. There is hope, help and healing available. If you are in such a situation, don’t think, “Where is God?” Rather, tell God’s people. This passage says don’t take vengeance into your own hands. Instead, tell those who can help you.
The owners of Hobby Lobby, the Green family, sued the U.S. Government over Obamacare trying to make them support abortion. Did they sin by resisting government “law?” The Green family argued. “We won’t pay for any abortive products. We believe life begins at conception.” This is similar to what Jesus did. Jesus defended the Father’s honor by driving the moneychangers from the temple. Jesus took action for the sake of someone else. That is what the Green family did. They took action on behalf of the unborn. Let us also defend the unborn. In the Matthew passage, Jesus is talking about personal vengeance and vendettas.
Ike Graham
LABORING UNDER THE SON
For God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work and the love
which you have shown toward His name. Hebrews 6:10a
King Solomon wrote much about labor in Ecclesiastes. The theme of labor and toil (31 times) permeates it. “Labor” means “to toil to the point of exhaustion.” Here are some of Solomon’s complaints about “labors under the sun”: What profit is it? (7:3); It’s not profitable! (2:11); I really hate it! (2:17-18); It’s a big pain! (2:22-23); There is no end to it! (4:8a); I can’t get ANY satisfaction. (4:8b); It all just goes down the tubes! (6:7); It is ALL in vain, vanity! (1:2); I can’t even take it with me when I die! (5:13-17). Does this describe how YOU feel about your work?
To find God’s best in life, we must lift our eyes above the sun to God’s one and only Son, Jesus Christ. We find light at the end of the tunnel with needed spiritual truth hidden amongst the complaining. The bad news is that man has really messed things up. “There is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins” (7:20). Furthermore, “God will bring every work to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” (12:14). Fortunately there is good news. First, we all have an inner desire for more than this earthly life as God has “set eternity in their heart“(3:11). Secondly, God desires to deliver and free us from life’s futile treadmill if we will but seek Him: “Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and may prolong his life, still I know that it will be well for those who fear God” (8:12).
Our labors will have real meaning as we seek to please, glorify and serve the Lord and not ourselves (1 Corinthians 10:31; 15:58). Hopefully someday He will say to you, “Well done, good and faithful slave” (Matthew 25:21, 23)! What will your labor amount to under the SON?
Bob Kulp
SKILLED
This Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses, which Yahweh, the God of Israel had given.
Ezra 7:6a
Isn’t it inspiring to watch someone display a high level of skill. Years ago I watched a young man display his skill on a double bass. The double bass itself is a large instrument. The strings alone are taller than a man. And yet as his fingers danced up and down the finger board, he showed no sign of hesitancy about what he was doing or incompetence in the execution of each note. He had mastered his instrument!
Ezra is described as being skilled in the Law of Moses. Jewish tradition teaches that he could write the entire Law from memory. That’s skill. Some may attribute his ability to good genes – after all, he was descended from Aaron the High Priest (vs. 1-5). However, skill goes deeper than that. Proverbs 22:29 says, “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings.” Skill here is connected with “work”. So how does someone gain skill? By doing lots and lots practice. It takes time and effort. It takes careful attention to every detail. It takes self-discipline to get it right every time. But that is looking at it from the human side.
For Ezra, there was more to being skilled. Three times in this chapter Ezra points out that, “the hand of Yahweh was upon him” (7:6, 9, 28). The key to Ezra’s success was that God was blessing him. All of his efforts to master God’s Law were meaningless without God’s intervention. Yes, Ezra had worked hard to prepare himself, but it was God who gifted Ezra with the ability to display his skill.
Philip Moeller
LOVING THE LIGHT
And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it. John 1:5
When I was a small boy, my night light went out, and in fear I thought I was drifting about in outer space. My frantic call, “Mama,” soon brought relief.
“Light” is one of the major themes in John’s gospel, used 14 times in the book. Light and darkness are familiar symbols in scripture. In an intellectual sense, light is a reference to the Biblical truth while darkness refers to the error of falsehood. I love the light and hate the darkness. Dec. 22 is the worst day of the year to me, for it’s on that date that daylight hours begin to shrink each day and darkness grows.
In a moral sense, light is a reference to holiness or purity, while darkness refers to sin or wrong-doing. Darkness has special significance in relation to Satan and his demons, who rule the present spiritually dark world as prince of the power of the air, promoting spiritual darkness and rebellion against God. The devil loves the darkness and hates the light. Let’s be sure to let our little light shine as beacons to this sin-darkened world. Like John the Baptizer, we are not the source of God’s light, merely a reflection of the light. Jesus is the true Light. He helps use our way to God and shows us how to walk along that way. But Christ has chosen to reflect His light thru His followers to an unbelieving world, perhaps because unbelievers are unable to bear the full blazing glory of His light firsthand. The word “witness” indicates our role as reflectors of Christ’s light.
We are never to present ourselves as light to others, but always are to point them to Christ the Light. What a tremendous privilege!
Red Williams
BIG THINGS
Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10
When I was in EMS school working as a student rider on the ambulance, we ran a complex call for a cardiac patient, and I couldn't keep up with the treatment activity. About the time my brain registered it was time for an EKG, a medic or volunteer had already done it; when I thought it was time for an IV, someone was already prepping and so on. After the call (and being chewed out for uselessness by my trainer!) a friendly medic took me aside and gave me some advice: "Just do something". His point was that I could at least look busy, even if I had no clue what to do next. And that advice helped me! On the next call, I picked up the trash generated by medications and supplies being pulled out of their packaging, and the trainer thought I was great! Gradually, as I understood more and more, I made myself busy taking basic vital signs and beginning treatments which eventually grew into running the calls themselves.
However helpful that advice may have been for a paramedic, it is one of the lessons I've had to "unlearn" in ministry. If I sense that I should be "doing something" I've had to retrain my habits to make that something prayer before anything else. The Psalmist indicated through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that God will exalt Himself in a special way among the nations when His people cease their striving, and abide in their relationship with Him. Maybe you are little bit like me and find yourself working hard to accomplish big things. Whatever it is, what a great reminder that it probably isn't as big as God exalting Himself among the nations, which happens when His people stop and pray.
Joe Ensley
THINK SOUNDLY!
And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”;
and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel,
‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Exodus 3:14
God told Moses that His name was I AM, and that was because, as He said, “I am that I am.” I can also say that. I am, after all, what I am. I am existing. I am alive. I am important. I am valuable. I am loved. However, lest I become high minded and narcissistic, I must remember that I am created in the image of God. And, as an image, I am not the exact same as God Himself. Now that means that I am what I am created to be and no more. I exist only because God created me and wills that I continue to exist. I am alive only because of His provisions and protections. I am as important as God chooses to make me. The truth is that I can be replaced. I am valuable only because God has placed value in me. And yes, I am loved, but only because God chooses to love me, certainly not because I deserve it. As the Apostle Paul said in Acts 17:28 “for in Him we live and move and exist. . .” It is only in God that I am what I am supposed to be. He is the Omnipotent Self-Existent God of the universe. I am a small and partial image of that. Therefore, we should not be proud, nor should we feel depressed and worthless. But we should follow Paul’s admonition in Romans 12:3 that one is “not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound thinking, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.”
Tom Johnson
PEACEMAKERS
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9
Somebody said Washington D.C. has a lot of peace monuments. They build one after each war. What do we mean by peace? Peace is not just stopping the war. Peace is creating the righteousness that brings the two parties together in love. Peace is not simply the absence of conflict or strife. There’s no strife or conflict in a cemetery, but we can hardly use a cemetery as a model of peace. No, peace, as God sees it, is far more than the absence of something. It is the presence of something. Biblically, it is the presence of righteousness that causes right relationships. So, if we are to be peacemakers, we do not only stop the war, we replace it with the righteousness of God. It is an aggressive good.
There’s a difference between truce and peace. Truce just says you lay down your guns and you don’t shoot for a while. That’s the world’s definition when everybody stops for that one glorious brief moment while we reload. That’s truce. Peace is when the truth is known, the issue is settled, and the two parties embrace each other. When the war is not raging, it isn’t over; rather, it is called a “cold war.”
Biblical peace conquers the problem in the middle ground so that the two can come together. It builds a bridge to two sides. Sometimes it means struggle. Sometimes it means pain. Sometimes it means anguish. Sometimes it means a little more strife, but in the end, real peace can come. A true biblical peacemaker will not let sleeping dogs lie. He will not save the status quo if truth must be brought to bear on the issue. He doesn’t say, “Well, you know, I know the person’s doing wrong, but, oh, I just would rather have a peaceful situation. Just want to keep the peace.” That’s a cop out. True peace only comes after the truth is brought to bear on the situation. Are you a biblical peacemaker?
Ike Graham
THE SCHOOL OF HARDSHIP
My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him. Hebrews 12:5
As we mentioned previously, there are four reasons God can use physical pain and psychological hurt. One of them is to teach us valuable lessons, preventing far worse destruction later.
The apostle Paul is a profound example of this spiritual principle. He famously experienced an ongoing affliction. Scripture records: “… for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me” (2 Cor. 12:7).
It was not personal sin that caused Paul’s thorn but potential sin. God allowed it in the school of life to teach him humility. Because Paul was uniquely privileged to receive profound visions and divine revelations, this thorn served as a constant reminder of his human weakness before God. Through this, he learned that God’s strength is perfected in weakness.
Joseph provides another powerful example of God utilizing bad circumstances for education. Why did God allow his brothers to hate him, sell him into slavery, only to be falsely accused and placed in an Egyptian prison? Partly because God was preparing him to save nations from a devastating famine. Joseph learned vital leadership and resource management skills while serving in Potiphar’s house and inside the prison walls.
Years later, Joseph confidently told his brothers: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to do what has happened on this day, to keep many people alive” (Gen. 50:20).
Joseph would not have realized God’s plan without facing those hardships. Could it be that God is teaching you an important lesson through your pain? Then you are enrolled in God’s School of Hardship.
Ethan Kallberg
I’M NOT GOD!
The secret things belong to Yahweh our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever,
that we may do all the words of this law.
Deuteronomy 29:29
As a pastor I am often asked tough questions like “Why did God allow John the Baptist to be beheaded when he was serving God?” or “Why does God allow some to die in car crashes and spares others?” I often have to plead ignorance and say “I don’t know! I’m not God!” I’ve been told that since I graduated from seminary I should know all these answers. I may have a Master of Divinity degree, BUT I can never master divinity!
While we can never know all the answers, here are some things that we can know for sure about God and His dealings in this world. Since I am limited on words per page, please get your Bible and read all these passages for yourself so you, too, can affirm all these truths about God.
1. He is in total sovereign control of the universe! (Isaiah 46:9-10)
2. He is accountable to no one and answers to no one! (Daniel 4:35)
3. He is ALWAYS good! (Psalm 25:8)
4. God does allow bad things to happen and judges sin! (Isaiah 45:7)
5. He is always trying to get our attention! (Luke 13:1-5)
6. He loves us and wants the best for us! (John 3:16; 10:10)
7. He leaves our choices to us! (Joshua 24:15)
8. He can be trusted and depended on! (2 Corinthians 1:8-10)
9. He works all for the believer’s good! (Romans 8:28; James 1:2-4)
These are a few of the things about God that I do know for sure. I believe His Word! I choose to let God be God and settle for being His humble servant. It sure avoids a lot of frustration, doubt and anger! How about you?
Bob Kulp