Together in God’s Word 11/10/09 • Reflections from the One Year Bible / by Stanley A. Parker

“For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” — Hebrews 10:14

This verse jumped out at me because of the seemingly contradictory truths embedded in it!

Through Jesus’ sacrificial death, we…

…HAVE BEEN made perfect! Done deal!

Through Jesus’ sacrificial death, we…

…ARE BEING perfected! (sanctified) In process! God isn’t finished with me yet!

Which is it?!

ARE we perfected or are we BEING perfected?

Yes!

In what sense have I been (past tense) perfected?

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” v.17b

We stand before a holy God, in perfect standing… debt paid in full!

Perfect (complete) forgiveness!

In what way am I still in need of perfecting?

Oh, this one is PAINFULLY obvious to me and to those around me!

Together in God’s Word 11/09/09 • Reflections from the One Year Bible / by Stanley A. Parker

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
His faithful love endures forever.”
–Psalm 107:1

Why do we have to be instructed to “give thanks” for blessings received?

Having raised three children, I KNOW having and showing appreciation to another is NOT an attribute we are born with!

And to this day I have it and do it FAR too little!

Why? I am wondering this morning.

As I reflect on this question, I am reminded of a family story from the childrearing years in our home.

A little background… We home schooled each of our 3 children, up through the 8th grade. (okay, okay, my wife Rachel home schooled our kids)

Rachel sacrificially invested YEARS into each one of them as she diligently sought to lay a strong academic foundation in their lives which they could successfully build on!

As the story goes, one day shortly after our oldest learned to read, a family friend asked Josiah who taught him to read.

His answer?

“I did it!”

WHAT?! He taught himself?! Is he serious?

Actually, he was!

Need I say we’ve never let him forget that story! LOL!

This morning, I pray I never forget that story either… and the implications it has for my life AND for my heart and its gratitude level!

That response was funny and cute coming from a young kid who doesn’t know any better!

It is neither coming from me… yet come from me it does!

And in both of us it produces a lack of appreciation… A lack of thankfulness and therefore failure in the giving of thanks!

Why would I give thanks to someone for something I did myself?

Are we serious?!

Do I really think I have done it all myself?

Embarrassingly I must admit, too often, I do!

The parts of my life story I SHOULD take credit for, but often don’t, is the mess ups!

And so Psalm 107 is reminding Israel what is TRUE! And it calls them to therefore give thanks where thanks is due!

THEY messed up!

GOD cleaned up!

THEY enslaved themselves!

God freed them!

Etc. Etc. Etc.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
His faithful love endures forever.”

Together in God’s Word 11/08/09 • Reflections from the One Year Bible / by Stanley A. Parker

“Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.” — Ezekiel 18:23 (NLT)

And again…

“For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.” — Ezekiel 18:32

These verses from today’s reading remind me of 2 Peter 3:9, which is speaking to mockers that Peter says will come eventually, wanting an explanation of why Jesus still had not returned.

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise (of returning) as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

I remember in my pre-Christian and even in my new believer days, wrestling with the concept of a good God sending anyone to hell.

And I have since found this a very common struggle.

What I continue to experience personally is that to know the God who has revealed Himself in the Scriptures, is to have that question profoundly answered!

How can a good God send anyone to hell?

With unimaginable agony of soul! Sick to His stomach!

Having sent messenger after messenger after messenger!

Having begged and pleaded!

Having brought temporal consequence after consequence in attempts to turn us from our course of eternal consequence!

Having waited so long that WE even question it!

Having paid the ultimate price, taking on Himself the punishment waiting for me!

Then and only then, after we have still rejected it all, does He punish in hell.

…and still there is zero pleasure in it for Him!

Hell satisfies God’s holiness yet brings no satisfaction to His heart!

Together in God’s Word 11/07/09 • Reflections from the One Year Bible / by Stanley A. Parker

“Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy.” — Ezekiel 16:49

Our intentionality towards or our ignoring of those in need around us not only reflects on our humanity, but also our morality!

Moral:
1. Of or concerned with the judgment of the goodness or badness of human action and character.
2. Conforming to standards of what is right or just in behavior; virtuous.

I have always considered these types of verses strictly speaking of financial needs, but this morning I can’t come up with logical nor biblical support for that limitation!

Why would it be wrong to ignore a person’s need for food, but okay to neglect their need for hope, for example?

Loss of hope most certainly has a higher mortality rate than a loss of income!

“See a need, meet a need” …a very right rhythm in life!

What needs do I see around me right now that I have yet to give attention to?

Together in God’s Word 11/06/09 • Reflections from the One Year Bible / by Stanley A. Parker

“Better is open rebuke
than hidden love.”
– Proverbs 27:5

Love is NOT merely the absence of hate! It is a positive attribute that has not occurrd until it has been expressed!

Unexpressed love is of no use… no value… no profit… no benefit!

Two lines from songs come to mind…

“Love isn’t love until you’ve given it away!” (Commissioned)

and

“Love is a verb!” (DC Talk) *smile*

Unconsciously I can treat love like a noun!

…like a possession!

…a thing I have or don’t have for someone or from!

We talk about “being in love” yet with love being a MAJOR theme of scripture, one does not typically walk away from reading the bible with that concept strongly supported!

When I say I love someone, am I discribing how I ACT toward them or how I FEEL toward them!

1 Corinthians 13, called by many the love chapter, is fundamentally a discription of action toward another person!

The command of scripture is to love!

Not to FIND love!

Or FEEL love!

Expression not posession is the key!

That is why it can rightly be commanded!

While I can’t CHOOSE to FEEL a certain way toward someone, I CAN choose to ACT a certain way TOWARD them!

Together in God’s Word 11/05/09 • Reflections from the One Year Bible / by Stanley A. Parker

“Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not, for they are a rebellious house.” — Ezekiel 12:2

It does NOT say they CHOSE to not see and hear!

No plugging of the ears nor covering of the eyes going on at this point!

It does NOT say they heard and saw but IGNORED what they heard and saw!

No, there appears to be a loss of ability!

There is a disconnect… Things are not working right…

They no longer have the ability to see or hear God!

How? Why?

Because of PAST plugging of the ears, covering of the eyes and ignoring!

This seems to parallel with the concept of callous or hard heart!

Callous hands no longer feel what they used to feel…

…neither do callous hearts!

Initially there is a CHOICE to ignore!

Eventually the inability of hearing and seeing becomes a CONSEQUENCE!

…and that is a very scary place to be!

What you CHOSE to ignore may have been somewhat mild at that point!

What you now consequentially CAN’T hear or see could be potentially devastating if not avoided!

And yet you have lost your ability to accurately perceive it so as to appropriately respond to it!

Together in God’s Word 11/04/09 • Reflections from the One Year Bible / by Stanley A. Parker

“And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises!” –Hebrews 6:12-13

…faith and patience!

…FAITH and patience!

…faith AND patience!

…faith and PATIENCE!

Faith: “The assuance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen!”

Patience: “To persist in or remain constant to a purpose, idea, or task in the face of obstacles or discouragement.. for as long as it takes!

For as long as it takes to what?

TO OBTAIN WHAT IS BEING HOPED FOR!

Without faith, patience would have no staying power!

Every apparent delay would only validate and thus strengthen our doubt.

And if we strongly question whether or not we will ever obtain the prize, why persist?

Why put up with the obstacles and discouragements!

Why not move on to plan B… MY plan… the plan my flesh wanted all the time… the plan that follows the path of least resistence!

Without faith my patience would have no staying power!

Without patience, my faith would have no substance!

…no validation!

To SAY I believe a promise is easy!

To SAY I believe a promise, yet NOT be willing to wait for it is to not believe the promise!

To SAY I believe and then DISPLAY that belief through waiting…

…is to pass the test, validaing the authenticity of my faith!

…is to glorify the Giver of the promise!

…is to obtain the promise!

Patience is the STUFF faith is made of!

Without patience, my faith would have no substance!

Faith without patience is false!

Faith WITH patience is POWER FILLED!

Patient faith is power faith!

So…

What’s the hurry?!?!?!

Together in God’s Word 11/03/09 • Reflections from the One Year Bible / by Stanley A. Parker

“You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word.” — Hebrews 5:12

God’s intention for me is NOT that I merely “grow old” in the faith!

God’s intention for me is that I “grow up” in the faith!

Can you imagine if someone grew older in years but never grew up physically?!

Can you imagine if someone grew older in years but never grew up emotionally?!

Can you imagine if someone grew older in years but never grew up socially?!

Can you imagine if someone grew older in years but never grew up mentally?!

Then why would I think it was acceptable to grow older in years but not grow up spiritually?

What are evidences of growing up spiritually?

My verse today clearly connects spiritual maturity with our ability to handle the Word of God!

Specifically, it sure seems to say that at some point, I should not only become “self-feeding”, but eventually also possess the ability to “spiritually feed” others as well!

At some level that is not a matter of giftedness, it is a matter of maturity!

Paul here is not speaking of higher leaning! He is speaking of “the basics!”

Together in God’s Word 11/02/09 • Reflections from the One Year Bible / by Stanley A. Parker

“And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” — Hebrews 4:13

When I played football at Nebraska, there was a video camera way up at the top of the stadium and that camera captured EACH AND EVERY play we ran the entire practice! Every one! Every day!

The slightest pre-snap twitch that would have been penalized during an actual game was captured on tape!

We all knew it!

“The eye in the sky doesn’t lie!” …we used to say when someone was not owning up to a mistake they made!

You see, we also knew that the next day during team meetings that very same video was going to be played back, and we were going to be held accountable for every misstep and every blown assignment!

Needless to say, that one reality profoundly affected the way each and every player approached a practice!

The soberness…

The intentionality…

The preparation…

The determination…

We made every effort to run each and every play right! No plays were “taken off” by any of us!

It also made us quick to own up to it when we did make a mistake! Even if the coach didn’t seem to have caught it “live,” we would often bring it to light ourselves, owning it and receiving real time correction!

The meeting the next day went FAR better when we did!

The tape still got run, but my mistake didn’t get replayed over and over and no comment was made on it. It was as if it had never happened!

What a perfect picture and a powerful parallel this provided for me today while reflecting on Hebrews 4:13!

Every day, every thought, word and deed… seen and CAPTURED by God, our heavenly Coach!

To live conscious of this reality is to live differently!

Together in God’s Word 11/01/09 • Reflections from the One Year Bible / by Stanley A. Parker

“But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” — Hebrews 3

Reflecting today on the FACT that others can affect my ability to stand strong in the faith!

Reflecting today on the FACT that I can affect the ability of others to stand strong in the faith!

Reflecting on the critical nature of inviting in others!

Reflecting on the critical nature of investing in others!