Category Archives: God

Holy

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sandalDO YOU REMEMBER when God asked Moses to take off his sandals because he was standing on “holy ground…?”
What, exactly, did that mean?
The word holy is found hundreds of times in the Bible. Its synonyms are many, but more times than not, it means “perfectly clean,” “pure,” “different,” and “set apart.”
Unfortunately, all of these synonyms are inadequate in actually defining God’s holiness. God is different from anything or anyone we can imagine. He is unapproachable perfection.
Dr. James MacDonald says it this way: “God is more righteous and pure, more piercing and powerful, more strong and impenetrable than anything we can imagine. We comprehend only fractionally, even infinitesimally, all that He is. He’s so different–so other–so holy. Every time you hear the word holy, think separation; He’s completely apart and entirely different than you and me.” Robert Woldgmuth, “God is God: The Creator–Holy, Sovereign, and Merciful,” 7 Things You Better Have Nailed Down, 33
KneEmail: “But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel.” Psalm 22.3
Bible reading for 06.03.11: John 13.21-38; 2 Chronicles 19-20
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Play

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lean.jpgONE OF MY favorite scenes in Lean on Me takes place right after Morgan Freeman (Principle Joe Clark) orders the security guards to expurgate the drug dealers and hoodlums from Eastside…
The rest of the student body watches in disbelief and cheers as the riffraff is forced off the stage and out of school forever. Principle Clark then says ominously, “The next time it may be you. And if you do no better than them, it will be you!” After a brief, inspirational charge, he strides past the stunned audience and out of the auditorium. Then one darling young woman turns to the friend beside her and says, “Mr. Clark don’t play!”
That phrase sums up much of Zephaniah’s message: God doesn’t wink at sin; God doesn’t compromise His holiness; God doesn’t sit idly by while His people cavort with idols. . .God don’t play.
Some of you might be thinking, “Well, I know some real stinkers who’ve never paid a divine penalty for rotten behavior. God seems to be twiddling His thumbs while they have a moral meltdown. Why doesn’t He wallop them for their whopper sins instead of spanking me for minor infractions?” If you’ve pondered along those lines, you’re not alone. There have been many times when I’ve questioned God doles out punishment. When I’ve wondered why He doesn’t obliterate certain people into grease spots — or at least singe them a little.
But we need to remember that the lack of overt, tangible punishment doesn’t mean anyone ever gets away with rebellion against God. There will always be a price to pay for sin. The highest price of all is to be separated from Him. Lisa Harper, “God Doesn’t Do Recess,” Tough Love, Tender Mercies, 72-73
KneEmail: “I will stretch out My hand against Judah, and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off every trace of Baal from this place, the names of the idolatrous priests with the pagan priests–Those who worship the host of heaven on the housetops; those who worship and swear oaths by the LORD, but who also swear by Milcom; those who have turned back from following the LORD, and have not sought the LORD, nor inquired of Him.” Zephaniah 1.4-6
Bible reading for 05.27.11: John 10.1-23; 2 Chronicles 1-3
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Home

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alabama.jpgTHE STORMS THAT hit Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia have left devastation and ruin all across these states…
The pictures are almost surreal.
It is hard to imagine entire neighborhoods, business districts, and countryside wiped out in just a matter of seconds from the force of the tornadoes that hit.
While we were fortunate that God spared us, we need to keep many other folks in our prayers.
Of all the pictures I saw of the damage, one stood out more than the others… a couple standing in front of some damaged houses. All around them is destruction and their faces betray their dismay at the magnitude of the damage. Yet, they are holding on to each other. Everything they were familiar with, everything they had known, everything that had been normal the day before, is now gone…but they have each other.
It is one thing to lose a house and all its furnishings. It is quite another thing to lose your home. A home can exist even when the house is gone. You see, a home is made up of two or more people who share love, life, and laughter. And that home is made stronger when God is at the center of everything that takes place in the lives of those who are part of it. When God is at the center, our homes are storm proof. That doesn’t mean bad things will never happen. It simply means that when tragedy does strike, you will find the two of them huddled together, holding each other, and giving and receiving support. That’s how homes weather a storm.
Many of the houses in Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia are gone. They may be rebuilt, but the greatest asset for those who have lost so much is their home. Home…where love dwells, where joy and grief is shared, and where the storms of life are not a threat…but a shelter of protection. Gary Knuckles, “Storm Proof,” Briensburg church of Christ Bulletin, 05.01.11: www.briensburgchurchofchrist.org
KneEmail: “Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4.12
Bible reading for 05.06.11: Luke 23.26-56; 1 Kings 21, 22
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Osama

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osama.jpg
NEARLY TEN YEARS ago, while Americans wept over the September 11th attacks on the United States, news crews in Palestine showed men and women dancing in the streets as they chanted, “Death to the USA…!”
At the time, I remember how amazed I was at such a calloused response by a people. However, last night it was our turn. After President Obama announced that Osama Bin Laden had been killed by U.S. military forces, men and women took to the streets outside of the White House and they chanted, “Nah, nah, nah, nah, hey, hey, hey, goodbye” and “USA, USA, USA!”
As I watched this reaction, I immediately recalled the words of the Lord when he said, “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live…” (Ezekiel 33:11). In light of the Lord’s eternal perspective, you decide if such dancing in the streets is appropriate.
Consider some additional thoughts.
I am not opposed to justice. I am not a pacifist. God gives government authority to execute wrath upon evil-doers (Romans 13). Bin Laden was guilty of crimes worthy of death. I support the USA in their military action.
I have a dual citizenship. I am a citizen of the USA and a citizen of Heaven. I have loyalties to both. I have a deep sense of nationalism that runs through me, but I must continually keep in check the priorities of my citizenships. I am first and foremost a citizen of Heaven. Never do I want to lose sight of my Heavenly citizenship and its agenda as I pursue a temporal agenda of my national citizenship.
I also am well aware of the many imprecatory psalms and statements sprinkled throughout the Old and New Testaments. These statements invite calamity upon those who oppose God. However, I believe that these imprecatory statements have to be interpreted in light of divine justice and a pursuit of God’s divine agenda. The chants of “USA, USA, USA” betray the purpose of the rejoicing that was taking place in the streets. These people were not celebrating because gone was one who stood in opposition to God. They weren’t celebrating because they saw this as a great step forward for God’s kingdom. They were celebrating, not because they are children of God, but because they are Americans. To apply the imprecatory statements of the Bible to nationalism rather than God’s divine agenda, is a misuse and misunderstanding of these statements.
I would simply suggest that before we take to the streets in celebration, we remember who we are. We are the people of God who have been given the task of reaching the lost. While I defend the right of government to enforce capital punishments, I don’t defend speaking and behaving in such a way that when such actions are required, that I alienate those who I am trying to reach with the gospel. Steve Higginbotham, “Hey, Hey, Hey, Goodbye!”, Preachinghelps.org
KneEmail: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3.9
Bible reading for 05.02.11: Luke 22.1-20; 1 Kings 10, 11
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Shield

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friendship7.jpgON FEBRUARY 20, 1962, at 9:47 A.M., the spacecrafe Friendship 7 rose on a pillar of fire, piloted by lone astronaut John Glenn…
Leaving the coast of Florida far behind, the space capsule orbited the earth three times, traveling 81,000 miles in less than four hours. As the craft began its descent from space, mission controllers in Houston received a warning signal: A sensor indicated that the capsule’s heat shield was in danger of detaching. If the heat shield came loose during re-entry, the capsule would burn like a meteor–and John Glenn would die.
There was no way to fix the problem in space. The capsule was already approaching the outer fringe of the atmosphere. As the tiny spacecraft fell toward Earth, the heat shield glowed red-hot–then white hot. Soon, a hot cloud of ionized gas particles called plasma surrounded the capsule. Because radio waves cannot penetrate plasma, the spacecrafe experienced a total communications blackout–what astronauts and mission controllers call a “black hole” (not to be confused with the black holes that form in space when a star collapses).
The minutes crawled by and the suspence mounted in the Houston control room. NASA engineers felt totally helpless. Finally, after five minutes of silence, mission controllers heard Glenn’s voice crackling over the radio: “Friendship 7 to Houston–”
Shouts of joy shook the control room. John Glenn was coming home.
It turned out that the warning signal had come from a faulty sensor. Although neither Glenn nor the mission controllers knew it at the time, the heat shield was absolutely firm and reliable. The fears for John Glenn’s safety during this black hole experience were unfounded.
If you’ve ever been through a Joseph Pit experience, you probably know what a communications “black hole” feels like. While you are in the pit of adversity, you feel that your world is collapsing, that your life is out of control–and that God is silent. You call out to Him and there is no answer. The silence of a black-hole is deafening. You feel isolated and alone. You question God’s love, His care fo you, and even His existence.
But even when it seems that God is distant and silent, when you feel you are in a black hole of isolation and loneliness, your “heart shield” is still there, firm and reliable. In your black hole experience, God is teaching you to go deeper into your relationship with Him. You may think that your life is out of control and burning like a meteor, but in reality God, your heat shield, still protects you from the fiery forces that surround you. Os Hillman, “The Black Hole,” The Upside of Adversity, 45-46
KneEmail: “But You, O LORD, are a shield for me,My glory and the One who lifts up my head.” Psalm 3.3
Bible reading for 04.19.11: Luke 15.1-10; 2 Samuel 6-8
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Wasteland

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wasteland.jpgTHE WASTELAND IS God’s training ground…
…There are half a dozen different things that God does to the person going through the wasteland. While there, you usually just spin your wheels. It’s so discouraging. You feel like God’s not hearing your prayers, He’s not letting you break through. And the truth of it is, He is hearing your prayers, but He’s not letting you break through.
The wasteland isn’t caused by sin. …It’s like when Joseph was in prison those times. In neither case did he sin to go to prison. God brought him into prison and it was a long and difficult wasteland of preparation of his confidence, his capacity, his character–everything. And then, when the wasteland was over, he walked out and ruled the biggest and most powerful nation in the world. Bruce Wilkins
KneEmail: “And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” 1 Peter 5.10 NIV
Bible reading for 04.15.11: Luke 13.1-22; 1 Samuel 27-29
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Please

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bald2.jpgTHERE IS AN old tale, attributed to Aesop, concerning a man who had two wives…
One was old; one was young.
The man was getting gray.
His younger wife did not want to be confused for his daughter, so when he was with her, while he was sleeping, she would pluck out his gray hairs.
The older wife welcomed the gray hairs. She was tired of being confused for his mother, so when he was with her, while he was sleeping, she would pluck out the dark hairs.
Soon, he was completely bald.
THOUGHT: If you try to please everyone, you will please no one.
KneEmail: “Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God.” 1 Thessalonians 4.1
Bible reading for 04.08.11: Luke 9.37-62; 1 Samuel 10-12
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Through

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grieving_woman2.jpgTHE KEY WORD is through…
God promises you will get through the waters of grief, the river of sorrow, the furnace of pain. Somehow you will get through. What you experience today will not last forever.
One encouragement here is God knows who you are. He is your Creator, and he calls you by name (Isaiah 43.1). You are His, and He will take care of His own. In time of sorrow you feel unimportant and unknown. God knows you, and you are important to him.
God also knows where you are. He knows when you’re fighting the current of the river of sorrow, when you’re walking through the firey furnace of suffering. Others may not know what you’re experiencing. One the outside you may have everyone believing you’re fine. But inside you’re about to drown. God knows — and He is there for you.
When Daniel’s three friends were thrown into the furance, the king watched (Daniel 3.22-26). And what he saw amazed him: the men were not harmed, and a fourth person was with them in the furnace.
God knows how you feel: alone, afraid, uncertain about the future, isolated, maybe rejected. God made you with your emotions, and he knows how they can overwhelm and control you. God will never condemn you for the way you feel. Tell him how it feels — He will listen.
God knows what you need. You need someone to share the pain, to walk through this long valley with you. He promises His presence. He also promises His love. God gave you His Son to conquer death and give hope.
Live on promises, not on explanations. Even if God explained by your loved one died, the answer wouldn’t end the heartbreak or quench the questions. Instead of explanations, God gives promises, which keep you moving ahead, giving hope and new strength.
You’ll get through your grief. It won’t end today or next month. But there is an end. Just face today. Tomorrow will take care of itself. Don’t burn today’s energies on tomorrow’s problems that aren’t here yet.
You’re going to make it through. David W. Wiersbe, “Going Through,” Gone But Not Lost, 77-78
KneEmail: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.” Isaiah 43.2
Bible reading for 03.03.11: Mark 8.22-38; Numbers 28 – 30
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Eye

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iris.jpgCONSIDER THE EYE…
Look out the window. Your field of view catches a vista perhaps a mile wide. It all appears projected onto half of a sphere a the very back of your eye, the retina, less than three centimeters in diameter. Yet your brain sees within those three centimeters of information a world a mile wide and knows it is no Disney cartoon the size of a postage stamp. Light from the outside world has reached your retina with only slight distortion. That’s because somehow those clever genes in your body produced crystal clear, transparent cells for the eyes’ outer casing, the cornea and the lens just behind the cornea, and the thick fluid that fills the globe of the eye between the lens and the retina. Amazing. All those totally clear cells and fluid even though most of our body is opaque or translucent. Some cells of your eyes are yours for life. As you age, more are added, but the ones you were born with are still with you as well.
The iris, which is controlled by an array of muscles, regulates the amount of light entering based on feedback from the retina. Behind the retina is a heavily pigmented layer that absorbs light not captured by the retina. A second array of muscles changes the shape of the lens, bending the light more or less as per the extent of the lens’s curvature, focusing the incoming images sharply on the retina. (All land vertebrates use the system to sharpen the image. A fish lens acts in a mannter similar to a camera, focusing by moving the lens backward or forward.) Of course, the concept of focusing assumnes the brain makes some decision as to what a “sharp” image means. Might the world really be blurry and we just see it as sharp?
All those muscles working in unison with no conscious thought on your part, and all in the blink of an eye, and all originally stored in one fertilized cell. Gerald L. Schroeder, The Hidden Face of God, “Meiosis and the Making of a Human,” 82-83
KneEmail: “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.” Psalm 33.6
Bible reading for 02.24.2011: Mark 5.1-20; Numbers 9-11
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Gently

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asteviejohnson.jpgTHIS PAST WEEKEND, Stevie Johnson, wide-receiver for the Buffalo Bills, dropped a perfectly thrown game-winning pass in overtime against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Because of the dropped pass, the Steelers were given new life and ended up winning the ballgame. Stevie Johnson was distraught because of his costly mistake. So following the game, Stevie tweeted the following message: “I PRAISE YOU 24/7!!!!!! AND THIS HOW YOU DO ME!!!!! YOU EXPECT ME TO LEARN FROM THIS??? HOW???!!! ILL NEVER FORGET THIS!! EVER!!! THX THO…”
As you can imagine, this foolish accusation against God has taken a lot of hits by sports and religious commentators.
Stevie made himself an easy mark. But, lest I commit a “personal foul” by “piling on,” let me take this article another direction. In the midst of receiving correction from thousands of people, Kurt Warner, former quarterback for the Rams, the Giants, and the Cardinals did a little tweeting himself. He tweeted to Stevie and said: “I asked same thing when released in STL & benched 3 times, But then God did his thing… Be ready! Enjoy watching you play!”
Wow! Isn’t that amazing? Of all the things that have been said or written following Stevie’s tweet, I wonder how many of them were as kind and understanding as Warner’s? Warner didn’t defend Stevie’s statement. It was indefensible. He didn’t try to legitimize it. There was nothing legitimate about it. But he did let Stevie know he could identify with the pain and hurt he was feeling, he validated his skills in spite of his costly error, and he gave him hope for the future.
Stevie Johnson spoke rashly and foolishly in his despair, and has since reflected on what he said and retracted it. I’m glad to hear that; he needed to. But I’m also glad for Kurt Warner’s response to Stevie Johnson. Personally, I want to develop my ability to empathize with, affirm, and gently correct the mistakes I see in others. What about you? Steve Higginbotham at preachinghelp.org
KneEmail: “And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition…” 2 Timothy 2:24-25a
Bible reading for 12.02.10: 1 John 1; Ezekiel 42-44
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