Back to Liberia - For now

Genesis 50:20 (ESV)
²⁰ As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

I don't know why I was born healthy and have enjoyed a life of physical and material blessings here in America.  I don't know why Moses Kollie was born in poverty in Liberia.  I don't know why his mother was killed by rebels when he was only weeks old.  I don't know why God let Moses lay trapped under his dead mother for a week causing him to live his childhood with a deformed hand.

Children obey your parents

Ephesians 6:1-3 (ESV)

¹ Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² "Honor your father and mother" (this is the first commandment with a promise), ³ "that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land."

The bible is very clear about admonishing children to obey their parents.  In fact, this precept made God's top 10 list.  Most people that read this blog may say "Amen" to this commandment, as many of us are parents.  But, why is this precept so important to God?

I can think of a couple of reasons.  One is that a rebellious heart is a sinful heart and rebellion often starts in the home.  While all children of all ages should be obedient to their parents, I think this commandment is especially directed at older children, those that are starting to reach adulthood and starting to think they know more than mom and dad.

God first gave this command to the Israelites.  He knew that the new generations would be tempted by the other peoples in their land.  He had warned their parents to teach their children about Him and how He led them out of Egypt.  However, if the children did not care to listen to their parents, these lessons would be lost.  As you read the book of Judges you see this happening on an ongoing cycle.

What about us older children?  Do we still honor and obey our parents or are we exempt once we get married and have our own children?  I think as mature adults it is easy for us to forget the wisdom of our parents.

The other reason I think this command is so important to God is because if we do not honor our earthly fathers and mothers, we may have a hard time honoring our heavenly Father.  How often do we choose our own way over God's ways?

A couple of other points about my thoughts on this passage...

Sometimes, parents can be ungodly parents, even evil parents.  It's a sad and shameful reality of our broken world.  I had loving parents so it is hard for me to imagine the pain of those whose parents really let them down.  I think God would still have us honor our parents regardless of the pain they may have caused.  However, I know that is easy for me to say, not having to experience that kind of pain myself.

The other point I want to make about this passage is the commentary added by Paul.  He says this is the first commandment with a promise.  Just what is this promise?

Some translations like the NIV and even NASB read the promise as, "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."  This makes it sound like a promise for a long life if you are an obedient child that honors your parents.  However, does this mean that children, teenagers, or young adults that die at a young age were disobedient and dishonoring to their parents?

Paul is quoting Exodus 20:12 here, which is actually being given as the sixth of the ten commandments.   The promise is that if the young Israelites obey and honor their parents it will go well for them in the new land.  Even in the NIV and NASB the word used is land rather than earth in Exodus.  I think this makes the ESV version more accurate and we should assume that Paul is quoting the commandment as stated in the Old Testament.

So the promise is not a long life on earth but a long life in the land.  As mentioned above, we find the young Israelites unable to live up to this commandment and all is not well for Israel.

The point is that this is not necessarily a "promise" for every child that obedience and honoring your parents will lead to a long life.  An early death does not mean a young person was a rebellious child.  That said, I do think this is a Christian principle.  A child that obeys and honors his parents will have a life that honors God, regardless of the the number of days on this earth.  A rebellious, disobedient child that dishonors his or her parents is more likely to have a life that can lead to an early destruction, again, regardless of the number of days on this earth.

Y-IKE-S!

Hello world... We're still hanging in there. We had one large tree come down but it landed in the driveway and missed our house. I have many co-workers that were not so lucky. Ike was not nice to the trees around here.

We don't have any power. However, our local power company expects to have us up this week. Those further east in Conroe could be without power for 2-4 weeks.

We have one generator that we switch back and forth from the well pump to the refrigerator. It's like camping all over again.

We thank God that we're doing well and praying for those close by that are not doing so well. Keep the Houston area in your prayers.

Grace and peace y'all.

Tony

When wisdom calls

Proverbs 1:26-28 (ESV)
²⁶ I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, ²⁷ when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. ²⁸ Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

I confess.  I actually searched the scriptures for a passage that I could use with this awesome picture.  Our family was camping this week at Inks Lake near Burnet, TX.  This is a picture I took of my 9-year-old daughter hamming it up as a twister headed our way over the lake.  This funnel cloud fizzled out before it reached us so we were able to avoid taking cover in the public restroom.

We left the lake after our camping trip and we're back in Hockley Texas, 85 miles from the coast and in the direct cross-hairs of Ike.  Needless to say, I will not have any of my children out posing for pictures in the sustained 80+ mph winds on Saturday.  We'll be hunkered down with our windows boarded up.

Please pray for those much closer to the coast.  It looks like this is going to be a nasty one.

Back to today's scripture...

This passage in Proverbs is referring to the call of wisdom and what happens to those that ignore it.  The wisdom is the Gospel.  The message from God to a fallen and sinful people that there is hope, if only you turn from your own selfish, prideful, evil desires and turn to God.  A God that gave his own Son to pay the price for our sins.  A Son that has been raised for our justification and to be our King.

The verses above are for those that refuse this wisdom.  Proverbs 1:22 tells us the ones that refuse this wisdom are the simple, the scoffers and the fools.  However, I don't think it is for me to assume that anyone is in one of these categories and is refusing the wisdom of God.

This Proverb says that wisdom is crying aloud in the noisy streets and in the market (Proverbs 1:20-21).  The point is that those ignoring God's wisdom cannot claim they have never heard it.  However, the wisdom of this world is also very loud and often much more appealing to our human nature.  Rather than assuming that those that do not know Jesus as their Lord are simple, scoffers or fools, I should do what I can to help deliver this message of wisdom so that it can be heard.

If I plan on sharing this wisdom through billboards, bumper stickers, or tee-shirts, the message is blurred in with all of the other messages in this world.  If I want to help someone understand the message of wisdom from God, the best place to usually do that is where they can hear me, where God's words are the only message ringing in their ears.

What's the best way to deliver this type of message? 

In person, as a friend, as someone that cares.

There are people that will hear the Gospel among the clutter and noise in our world and find God's truth.  However, there are many that cannot pick out the message over all the other noise around them.  If I have this wisdom, I should look for ways to share it so that others can actually hear it.

Let God decide who is simple, a scoffer and a fool.  I should see everyone who has not yet found the wisdom of the Gospel as a future brother or sister in Christ.  I should see them waiting for someone to love them enough to share God's wisdom, in person, as a friend, as someone that really cares.

Romans 10:14 (ESV)
¹⁴ But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

Judge me, O Lord

Psalms 7:8-12 (ESV)
⁸ The Lord judges the peoples; judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me. ⁹ Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous— you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God! ¹⁰ My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart. ¹¹ God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day. ¹² If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow;

As I read this Psalm, I ask myself, am I bold enough tell God to judge my righteousness and my integrity?  I know for the most part I'm a pretty good guy.  I try to live with integrity.  However, what about the little white lies that come out sometimes without even thinking about it?  How about when I get annoyed or lose my temper, even if I don't show it?  What about driving 75 when the speed limit is 65?

These may seem like small things.  However, If I pray this Psalm, I'm telling a perfect and holy God to judge me.  It's not even just my actions that this Psalm is asking God to judge.  It's the integrity that is in me, it's a heart issue.

When it comes to salvation of my soul, I know I am saved by faith alone.  My faith in Jesus as Lord means I was justified when He rose from the dead (Romans 4:25).  However, I don't know that this Psalm is necessarily about my eternal salvation.

David was asking for protection from his enemies.  He was asking God to judge him, and then based on that judgment, save him from his wicked enemies.  We know David was just a man.  While a man after God's own heart, he was able to fall to some serious sins in his life, like adultery and murder.  So how was he able to be so bold as to ask God to judge him before rescuing him?

I think the key is Psalms 7:12, "If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow;".  Before I seek God's protection, I should first seek his forgiveness.

So what is the life application here for me?  At the beginning of this Psalm (Psalms 7:1-2), David is pleading with God to save him from his pursuers that want to tear his soul apart like a lion.  Can I really relate to this plea?  I don't think I have anyone pursuing me like a lion.  Or do I?

1 Peter 5:8 (ESV)
⁸ Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Maybe I better get down on my knees and repent so that when I ask God to judge me and deliver me, he will find an upright heart.

Hospitality, Stewardship, and Link Love

 

I want to thank Carol from A Second Cup for honoring me with the "I Love Your Blog" award.  I have mixed emotions about these meme-type awards.  On one hand it is an honor for someone to appreciate your blog enough to post an award for it.  On the other hand, I know through experience that it can be daunting to find additional bloggers with whom to pass on the award.

Finding other great blogs is not an issue.  I have a list of favorite blogs just from the Entrecard community alone that I follow.  The problem I've had in the past is finding great blogs that have not just recently been presented the same award or ones that don't decline the award when I tell them about it for various reasons.  I had such a hard time finding enough bloggers to take the first award that I was presented that I passed on one myself the next time I was offered the privilege.

I decided this time to rethink how I think about these types of awards.  An award like this from a fellow blogger is like a neighbor bringing you a gift and telling you what a great job you're doing in your community.  I should receive such a gift with honor and humility.  I should eagerly show hospitality by joining in the community of bloggers and pass the gift along.

1 Peter 4:8-10 (ESV)
⁸ Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. ⁹ Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰ As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:

Of course Peter wasn't talking about the blogging community or blog awards.  However, this award is a great reminder of how God wants us to live - loving each other, sharing with each other, and building each other up.

In this spirit, I gladly recognize the seven Entrecard blogs below.  However, I want all these bloggers to know that there's no expectation on my part that they post this award or forward it on.  Carol provided me with this "out" when she passed this award to me and I really appreciated that.  This is a free gift of on my part with no strings attached. 

If you are not familiar with these blogs I encourage you to take a peek.  They have certainly helped me as I seek the things above both on their blogs and with their contributing comments here.

A Godly Woman
Ima Blogger - Where False Doctrine Gets PWND
Random Thoughts - International Blog
Sound of a Soft Breath
Sheepleblog
Sojourn
The Plunge N2

And of course, although she does not like the recognition, if your looking for a good blog on family, home schooling, and all the joys and trials involved, I always highly recommend:
Hipp is My Middle Name

P.S. I'm supposed to include the rules for this award so here they are:

1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog;
2. Link the person you received your award from;
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs;
4. Put links of those blogs on yours; and
5. Leave a message on the blogs that you’ve nominated