16-7-31 notes

Ecclesiastes 7:1-7

We have to be open to the meaning conveyed by the speaker of words the author, the Author of life itself. Its far easier on our part to take his words and interpret them based on our beliefs rather than be obedient to listen particularly to God. We may quickly agree we may quickly dismiss based on our experiences our learning but we haven't enough of either to do this with our Father.

(v1)A good character is better than riches. Not a reputation, one can fool a lot of people and seemingly have a good reputation (see any politician) but their character is what they are when nobody is looking or around. Being around those of good character is comforting, the pressure is somehow reduced. They seem to have time for us. The character of Christ.

As to the day of death being better than birth, look at it from the point of a person with good character. Living the golden rule when so many will quickly take advantage of you will wear a person down. This will tire them greatly or drive them toward the only relationship that matters, probably some of both depending on mood and circumstance. While a newborn has their entire life before them and seeming great promises those dying have the even better promise of an eternity with the savior they served. Their faith tested through life and now the quiet confidence of knowing.

(v2) We all die unless the Lord returns. A slow death, ever weaker ever greater pain until we give up or the quick unexpected one. Both result in great sadness for those remaining. Worse than death, is the great wickedness and tragedy that happens in a society whose God is not the Lord. The exceeding greatness that can be accomplished in and through all of us by submitting to Him is countered by the evil and wickedness that happens at the hands of those who reject Him. Knowing there will be sadness and mourning makes the times of feasting celebration all the better. It is better to face the mourning times rather than try to avoid them. Even if we were all Christians there would still be sad times, because we're in a fallen world. It would be better, though, for society, than one that rejects the Lord.

Psalm 42:5,11 Sadness of countenance (v3) Its not our countenance we seek but His to be made in His image. He made us with incredible potential for evil and of good, and He has seen every evil act there ever was or will be and yet His countenance is one of hope and love toward us that we might choose Him as He calls to us. Once we adopt His countenance then He contributes to keeping it healthy in us. The consideration of the sadness tragedy and the possibility of worse gives us His proper countenance of hope. We can relate that to others knowing what is most important, and not living in our sorrows but rather that hope.

(v4-5) It is in sorrow that we seek the wisdom of life. When all is well we seemingly have no cares no wisdom required. When a friend or acquaintance is sorrowed we should reflect on the certain tragedy of this life, not offer deflecting advice, not belittling their struggle because there are certainly ones that are worse, but rather pointing them to the only One that can comfort, that can give them the wisdom they need at this moment when they are in a frame of mind to accept it.

(v6) Just as the house or mourning puts us in position to grow in relationship to our Lord, to see the tragedy in life but also the hope through our Lord. So we can develop a proper relationship to the Lord. We seek times of feasting and mirth, the good times and there are those who would reject the tragedy of life and attempt to spend all their time having a good time. This is vanity we must face life as it is.

(v7) Following Christ changes what? Do your former buddies think you mad? family? Following Christ means the unbelievers will see you as a fool. Yet where is your hope in this life, is their answer better or foolish. We must confess without Him we are nothing, we do that when we embrace the tragedy of life. He is the hope, He is the one we seek. Are we oppressed? do we care what others think? or have we reached the point yet that we're focused on Him? As we invite Him to remake us in His image, His gift will change us, it will destroy me my and I in favor of His ways, His countenance, and His character. Amen

16-07-24 notes

Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

How is your walk with God? Walking isn't particularly thrilling. Walking with God is steady, it is something we desire to do but it is a challenge to endure. Walking with God is the way others should describe our character, not that we care what others think, but it is our desire to keep up with our Lord. Genesis 17:1 To walk before Him is to have the confidence we're going where He wants us, to be blameless is to have developed the close relationship we all strive for.

To seek thrills in life is the sign of unhealthy relationship to the Father. We're saying relationship to Him alone is not enough, we want more, which is rejection of Him.

The reality of realizing God's presence does not dependent on our being in a particular circumstance or place, but only depends on our determination to keep the Lord's presence in mind. Determination struggle, not what our flesh wants but what our spirit longs for. We refuse or are not diligent in keeping His presence in mind (walking with Him). We create problems for ourselves. If we can ground ourselves in Him, more than awareness, but a grasp of the reality of it, then we will see Him in all aspects of our lives, we will be truly walking with Him. Our constant longing for direction from Him will also go away as we cling to the presence knowing we walk with God and wherever we go He is there. We live truly in the shade of His wings. We walk.

From Ecclesiastes 6

Its not what we do in life, but who we are and the influence of our character. To walk with God and let His character shine through us at all times in all circumstances is the best purpose of our life. Setting sights on any other accomplishment is a denial of Him.

Having pride and self realization is the root cause of sin. Sin is anything not of God, can we walk with Him and not have His character affect us, change us into His image. We cannot do anything meaningful apart from Him.

We often live to continue our existence, when we should be living for Him. If we hoard it rots, what will happen to the "treasures" you cling to when you are gone? Things, houses, land, that could be a blessing for others from God if you would only relinquish. He can take what He has given us back, and make no mistake everything you have came from His hand. Our only care should be about our relationship to Christ. Once in proper relationship we relate to life as a child.

Instead our flesh begs us to lust, we must have it now and don't care about consequences. Animal like lusts, relational lusts (with others not God), the lust for spiritual things (not focused on Him)- it comes from self realization and pride, the root cause of sin. Properly related to God we are satisfied with Him and can wait endlessly (His love in us hopes all things endures all things and is patient, kind [1 Cor 13])

Jesus desires relationship with each of us, and with it our perspective changes. It becomes His perspective, we see Him remake us in His image.

It is conceit (pride) on our part to think we are the wisest generation that ever lived, knowledge is not wisdom. Modern thinking says to reject God, we've gone beyond Him. Clearly not wisdom. James 1:5 If we lack wisdom... Society has so rejected the Lord's ways we don't even know who to ask. His ways are rejected but isn't that pride and self realization?

16-7-17 notes

Jeremiah 26 Ecclesiastes 5:8-20

In this Chapter Jeremiah is told by God to go and speak that which God has given him. He does so, what is the response? They want to kill him. As this is discussed we're reminded that this has happened at least twice in the past, once where the king and the people repented and the Lord repented. Once when the people killed the profit, hunting him down in a different country bringing him back an slaying him.

So every generation makes the choice turn from God's ways and do your own thing, or turn to His ways. The reaction to the hearing of God's word and message is the same now as then. Some can't get enough of the message, it changes their lives. Some want to kill the messenger they so don't want to hear the truth because in their own minds and imaginations they have come up with the way they want to be and live and don't want anyone confusing them with God's truth.

It an admission that His ways are better if our reaction to truth is to silence the messenger. Its a strong signal of a heart turned away from its Creator. It is also the nature of everyone of us apart from God, fallen ready to kill.

God made us from the dust of the earth and breathed life into us. The things of the earth are His, we brought nothing into this life we'll take nothing out , and yet we often ignore God in trying to maintain what we have (He has given us), or try to gain further blessings without acknowledging the Blessor. God has a permissive will, in which He lets men do as they see fit and it is the world we live in. All kinds of people hurting each other, fear and tragedies.

God also has an order - the way things should be. We can't make others strive for that, we can only strive ourselves to catch hold of God's order and hold onto it. Unless we are clinging to relationship with God, unless we are longing to submit to His order in our lives (with sacrifice of self which is painful), then we are part of the problem in the world. The turning from God to self (root mean cause), and we don't like to hear it - we don't like to hear we need Him working in our hearts - reshaping us back to His image.

We make the excuse we can't help ourselves, or someone's actions are in some way excusable. Yet people are hurt by those actions and that is clearly not God's order. God's order is in relationship to Him - His desire for us, a longing to be in relationship to the Creator, and the created.

Admitting our fallen nature, focusing on Him. Careful to stay focused on relationship, and not this doctrine or that. Careful not to get distracted by the myriad of things around us that clamor for our attention. God's order will only happen as each of us strive for it individually, crucifying self. If enough individuals do it will happen but looking for the order can take our focus off of relationship.

July 10th notes

Which of the things of God has caused us to turn away from Him? Jeremiah 2:5-9 God asks the question directly of us. When we think on the things of God we generally feel assured, comforted, so why then do we not meditate on them always (constantly doing His things)? Always in prayer?

Why do we acknowledge the goodness of God but yet don't follow His ways?

If the things of God are perfect, why don't we do them? Instead we do evil because we can (Jeremiah 3:5). We're wired for evil, we have a fallen nature that wants to be in control and not surrendered to God. Yet God surrounds us with the things of Him. We corrupt them- trying to have our way, and run our lives the way we want. In our imaginations we never see the possibility of anything but peace and goodness in our lives, its what we want, but its not actuality, evil happens. Jeremiah 23:17-18

We often put up a good front as followers of Christ everything is always "well", our secret things are well concealed from others. We don't share the struggles with the things we fail at. We fail at them because we try to do it in our own power and not His.

We are only what we are in the dark; all the rest is reputation. What God looks at is what we are in the dark—the imaginations of our minds; the thoughts of our heart; the habits of our bodies; these are the things that mark us in God's sight. OC

So where are you with God, when you're alone?

Lets look at marriage. God's plan - be fruitful and multiply, a life changing event that gives proper place to passions. Song of Solomon 8:4 As a result of those passions, multiplying happens, so both people entering a marriage should be ready for that possibility, and fully committed to each other. For her - willing to make the self sacrifice to be the mom of his children, for him willing to make the self sacrifice of being a father of her children. Indeed, marriage should be complete and unconditional surrender of each to the other. (1 Cor 7:4). In that context it is a life changing event, a leaving of one's family of childhood to cleave to another person creating a new family. Matthew 19:4-6

But as fallen people we have changed what God intended into ...

Think about the current politically correct definitions of marriage largely being forced onto us from those that think they are smarter than us. Or at the very least they have firmly rejected God in their own minds and have reasoned out in their imaginations what marriage should be, then used the authority we gave them to promote standards not of God. Definitely an opportunity for intercessory prayer.

Our relationship to God is like being married. We should completely surrender to Him. Be ready to be His bride, go where He takes us.

What often happens? We try and control God. Just like in a marriage where husbands and wives try to manipulate each other trying to control and impart their will, instead of submitting. We want to be married to God (want the benefits) yet we want other gods instead (our own selfish desires). We keep our own agendas, not fully surrendering to Him. We're willing to drink from a broken cistern versus a clear fountain. Jeremiah 2:13. Our actions shouting that ours ways are best, when with our lips we'll say His ways are best. He longs for us to become fully committed and surrendered to Him.

Instead of being selfless in marriage and putting our partner first we put self first. Yet selfish people who insist on their way are often the most miserable people you'll ever meet. Anything you do for the selfish is never good enough, they expect more, better, etc. Is God blessing you enough? Do you have to think about it?

Can a person in a marriage take advantage of the other? Yes, We'll gladly try to take advantage of God, but we fear giving up control to Him. The action of maintaining control drowns out our lip service of being committed.

May our actions show the desire of our hearts and our words be few, not really needed. Submit in your relationship to the Lord. Its the only one that matters, and will guide you into the other ones. Any and all your relationships can be helped, break the bad habits of years gone by, break out of the comfort zone. Don't let your pride stop you, from fixing the broken as you realize it.

Luke 13:6-9 non-fruit bearing fig tree one more chance. fertilized, watered, one more chance, the plant was given the best chance to grow. What would cause a fruit bearing plant not to produce fruit? Pruning and watering might make it healthy but maybe not fruit bearing. It may not be bearing fruit due to lack of sunshine, its needed for fruit bearing plants. It helps ripen the fruit.

The Lord has so many examples in our lives as to how to grow relationship to Him. Non- fruit bearing Christians- lack of Sonshine. They may appear to have full lives, but lack intentionality about following Christ, telling others what God has done for them in their life, letting Him be in all things. Just takes a small seed in a crack a thought of God and His ways to start someone toward the path of relationship.

Are we fully related to God, in all facets of our lives, submitting to Him? Are we focused on Him alone?

Mark 11:12-14 Fig tree cursed for not bearing fruit.

Let us pray. Lord we submit to you in all things and lead us to let the knowledge of your blessings to us overflow out of us as a witness of You to those around us. Keep our eyes steadfastly on You.