Weekend Nugget:

Malachi 3:6

“I am the Lord, I change not.”

Often when people explain their problem with believing the Bible, they reference the “genocidal, maniacal, murderous God of the Old Testament.” They say things like, “How could a loving God have ordered the senseless murder of so many people?” Their main problem isn’t in admitting that God slaughtered men, women, and even babies; their main problem is that God sent men to do the slaughtering. It becomes to them a moral dilemma, when men are ruthlessly killing in the name of God. They then make the comparison with the God of the New Testament, Who, to them, is painfully nice and forgiving. Who instead of telling His followers to kill their enemies, tells them to love their enemies and pray for them. So why does God change? Well, God doesn’t change. How God is working through men, has changed. In the Old Testament, God ruled directly in a theocracy, where His punishment for the sins of people groups was doled out on those who had obtained “full wrath” status. For the Amalekites, this took about four-hundred years. In a true theocracy, God used the people of Israel to act out His judgment on the sinful and rebellious nations. However, those who were not sinful and rebellious, had nothing to fear from the just and merciful God. (Lev. 19:34), rather, it seems He had their best interests in mind.  In the New Testament, God relates to the people of the world through His church. This is not the same as a theocracy, so there is no call by God for the church to execute the judgment of God. He has delegated that authority to human government. (Rom.13:1-5) Rather, the church has the duty to draw men to God by extending His grace to them and telling of the redemption that can be found in the gospel of Jesus. As for the question of God changing, God’s wrath didn’t end at the close of the Old Testament. The same sin-punishing God reveals Himself again in the last few pages of the New Testament in Rev. 6-20.  God is God, and He never changes.

Food for Thought: Is God different between the two Testaments? Why then do people get a different perspective of God in the two?

1 John 1:3-4

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

A good author has a purpose before he starts writing. As he pens his thoughts down, and they work out sequentially from his mind through his hand, his way of thinking is revealed. Here in 1 John, John doesn’t hide his motives. He plainly lists a multi-layered purpose for writing this epistle to his readers. First – the things that he saw Jesus do and heard Jesus say, he wants to tell and teach to the readers. But this is not purely didactic. He is not simply striving to layout a systematic theology for his readers to embrace and to subsequently live with a new set of rules “from the mouth of Jesus.” It’s not true to simplify his motive as teaching his readers WWJD (what would Jesus do?). Rather His motive goes deeper. It is a far greater purpose for his readers than to simply inform them of Who Jesus was, and what Jesus did. Rather, He had a second layer of purpose in instructing them in the truths of Christ. This second purpose is expressed clearly in 1 John 1:4 – “These things write we unto you, that your Joy may be full.” He is saying, “Without this life-changing, soul-liberating truth from the life and mouth of Jesus, you will not fully understand what it means to find joy.” “Learning this truth isn’t just so you can answer all the right questions about your faith, but so that in your life of faith, joy and purpose can be had.” John wanted to make sure his readers understood that he had their best interests at heart as he began this massive treatise on life and holiness in the light of God’s truth. And God has our interests at heart when He gives us the truth of this epistle. God is not a stoic, joy-hating God. Rather scripture seems to argue here that greatest joy is found in a deep knowledge and understanding of the truth of Who Jesus is and what He desires from us.

Food For Thought: Read Psalm 16:7-11. In this text, what is the connection of increasing in the understanding of God’s truth and finding joy?

1 John 1:1-2

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands we have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

John begins both his gospel account and his epistles with this truth: Jesus is from the beginning. He means that Jesus literally predates all of the created things. He was existent before all other things were. In essence, in a time when only God existed, Jesus existed. By conclusion, Jesus then is God. As God, according to John 1:14, He became human and dwelled among other humans. John further says in 1 John that He preached a specific message “which we have heard;” His transfiguration took place in a way “which we have seen with our eyes;” He died a grueling death for the sin of all mankind on a cross while “we looked upon [Him];” and He physically arose from the dead and “our hands have handled” Him.  After John had witnessed Him live a life of perfect submission to God and absolute sinlessness, John could not help but relay the message of truth and hope that could be found in the saving work of Jesus. The eternal life that God offered through Jesus had been at the heart of  Christ’s appearing and incarnation. The invitation went out then, and it goes out again even now from John: a saving One has come. Life and Hope can be had, and they can be had in the person of Jesus Christ. So, John starts this letter with this reality. The theology that follows in the epistle hinges on the following realization: Eternal life is found in the One Who is truly eternal. We were hopeless until He came in His grace with mercy and offered forgiveness and redemption through His own work. The saving work has been done. It has been accomplished in Jesus, and now we must simply humble ourselves under the Grace of an Almighty Saviour.

Food For Thought: What were some of the things that John would have heard from Jesus?

2 Peter 3:17-18

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Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now an for ever. Amen.

Don’t be misled by anyone. Don’t allow anyone to pollute and question the theology that God has taught you from His Word. Who He is never changes. What He says does not waver. His desires are the same from everlasting past to everlasting future. The ones who want to change your thinking do so for their own personal gain from you. Do not be deceived by them. Whether they use their own wisdom, or enticing opportunities, or scoffing, or any other type of subversion, rest in the truth that you have learned. And grow in that truth. Do not take their lies as truth. Take the Words of God as truth. Take what He teaches and shows you as the only source of truth. There is no extra-biblical text that contains His truth, there is no extra-biblical person who is His special mouthpiece carrying His hidden never-before-revealed truth. What He wants to say to you, He already has, it is now just a matter of listening to His Word as it is written and allowing it to change you. Grow in truth. Dive deep into His Word and discover that it isn’t necessarily the new things that are invigorating and exciting, but rather the gems of truth that He spoke thousands of years ago to His penmen that are life-giving and joy-bringing. Grow in grace. Allow His grace to invade your life, focus the lens of your perspective off of the circumstances of life and onto the Providence of a God who is gently working in you His plan and purpose through those circumstances. Open your eyes to see His Sovereign design and power. Grow in the knowledge of Jesus. See who He is in the pages of the Gospels. See His tender ways. See His gentle treatment of those who didn’t believe, and His harsh words against the ones who hid the truth of God from others through their self-righteousness. See Him incrementally teach those who He longed to see grow, and see that He works this way still today. Don’t be shaken, and only look to Jesus.

Food For Thought: What two things does Peter tell you to grow in? What does growth in these areas look like?

2 Peter 3:14-16

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Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

Some will say that the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Paul were in conflict and did not agree. I recall a conversation with a lady that I once had, where she made the assertion that “We all know that Paul taught a different gospel than Peter did, and the Catholic church followed the teaching of Peter, and the Protestant churches like the Baptists follow the teachings of Paul. You see, the flaw with following the teachings of Paul is that unlike Peter, he never was there with Jesus and came later and changed the teachings of Jesus to what he wanted…” There is almost too much to address in her assertions at this time, but one thing that I do want you to grab from today’s text is that the assertion made by this friend of mine and by many like her, just isn’t true and finds no basis in the Bible. As a matter of fact, as you read today’s text, you will find that Peter views Paul as a “beloved brother,” who was full of “wisdom.” Those are usually not terms that you give to someone who is doctrinally unsound. I don’t look at Joseph Smith of the Mormon cult and say, “Now there is a beloved brother, full of wisdom that God gave him.” Bleh…just typing that felt so wrong! Joseph Smith is not a beloved brother, and he only taught heresy and lies, not wisdom. The assertion that somehow Peter and Paul were diametrically opposed theologians could not be further from the truth, they were in fact both followers of Jesus, who taught the message that Jesus had taught to both of them – salvation by God’s grace through our faith alone. My Catholic friend did not have her theology right (ironically, her thinking doesn’t even really line up well with Catholic doctrine either). There is not inconsistency in God’s men, and there is no conflict between the doctrines that these men teach. We can come to God’s Word and read with confidence the accounts of Paul and the accounts of Peter, learning from both the truth of our God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Food For Thought: How do we know that the Apostle Peter did not disagree with the Apostle Paul’s teachings?

2 Peter 3:10-13

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But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for a new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Christ will come back, and when He does, it will get very hot. A loud noise will shake the cosmos, and the rattling stars will be destroyed. The earth and all therein will melt like a stick of butter in the microwave. It won’t have a chance. All that exists will one day be a puddle of molten earth goo. This view of the stuff around us as eventually burned up and melted helps us with the value system that we place on our stuff. One preacher said, “knowing that it will all burn up one day, why do you still keep piling up stuff?” He took the analogy further and said that instead of fulfilling the great commission to save men’s souls, men rather accumulate wheelbarrows full of sawdust to dump in the fire. All things will one day be consumed, the only thing that will last for eternity is the souls of men. Why then would we spend our lives investing in something else? The disciples of Christ apparently caught this vision from Jesus, which is why you see them within a few decades travelling around the world proclaiming the gospel to those who are lost. So what will you accumulate? Wood, hay, stubble? Will you boast that you have more wheelbarrows full of fire fuel? Or, will you, with eyes like our Savior, see your purpose as far greater than just an accumulator of stuff and trinkets? Will you not be enamored by the fleeting “stuff” of culture, and rather pursue a deeper and greater purpose in the retrieval of men’s lives from the fire? Will you see yourself as one who holds the truth needed to rescue millions from eternal destruction, and then like William Carey, Ion-Keith Falconer, and Jim Eliot spend your life drawing men to life and purpose in Jesus? “You only have one life, and it will soon be past. Only what is done for Christ will last.” – C.T. Studd

Food For Thought: What item in this devo illustrated the accumulation of stuff? What does this illustration mean?

Weekend Nugget:

Haggai 1:5 says “Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.” God sent Haggai to take His message to His people. This takes place in Palestine, when the Jews had been sent back by the commission of King Cyrus to rebuild their temple. However, fifteen years later, the temple had not been built, and they were going around with life as usual. They had taken time to build their own houses, and open their own shops to trade goods in, but they had not accomplished the one thing that they had been sent to do, build a temple for God. God finally spoke to them through Haggai, and said, “Consider your ways.” In essence, “think about what you are doing.” They had not accomplished what God had called them to, because they had sought to accomplish their own things. Ironically, they had not been largely successful at accomplishing for themselves. It seemed like they couldn’t make any money. It seemed like their fields wouldn’t grow any crops. They found themselves frustrated that nothing seemed to work like it should. A loving God had been trying to use fruitlessness in their lives to chasten them back to His glory and their joy in their obedience to Him, but they thought they should build their kingdom first and then build His. So finally, because of their blindness, He said, “Consider your ways.” I think of Proverbs 3:5, “In all thy ways acknowledge Him,” and I think that if they had acknowledged Him, His temple would have already been built and they would be living in their own houses with crops and provision for their families taken care of. But they had gotten their priorities out of order, and had turned their focus on themselves and accumulation of stuff for themselves. So a loving God stopped them and sent His Words through His man, Haggai, to offer correction and an adjusted vision for their benefit and for His glory. They did well to “Consider their ways,” and eventually they did build the temple, and God was magnified and they found true joy.

Food For Thought: How can we sometimes end up living life like these Jews that didn’t build God’s temple? Hear God now speaking to you, “Consider your ways.”