Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘discipleship’

Let us speak the truth to one another

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on April 29, 2008|

This is a topic that is relevant to all of us, because it is so easy not to speak the truth to one another, but to allow a little dishonesty now and then. Even if we’re not into telling big lies, we can get caught up into telling so-called white lies or exaggeration, thinking it won’t hurt anyone. And this is not considered a big deal by most people. 

There are several words in the Bible that help us flesh-out different aspects of dishonesty:

  • False witness – often used in a legal context, its where you give false information
  • Lying – don’t tell the truth
  • Deception – mislead, trick, not telling the whole truth
  • Slander – where you spread false information about someone – to damage their reputation

We need to watch out for all of these, so lets remind ourselves

Why dishonesty is evil

 The answer is straightforward, dishonesty destroys relationships, indeed, it can destroy whole communities.

1) Lying destroys trust, which is the glue that holds us together in relationships. Trust is what makes our relationships possible.

When you lie to someone you are stealing their trust, as it were, and then using that trust to take advantage of them, or otherwise to get your way in the situation.

When they find out (and usually lies are found out) it destroys the trust they had in you. Trust is a precious gift of great value; and lying damages or even destroys it.

I’m sure you have experienced this. You know how it feels to be lied to; to be deceived. You know the sense of betrayal of trust and the damage it causes.

2) Even if you are never caught, to maintain the lie you have to continue to be false with the person. You can’t be in a genuine relationship with them. You have to wear a mask, so there is always this barrier between the two of you that hinders the relationship.

So the relationship is damaged or even destroyed either way: if you are found out the trust is broken; if you are not you have to put on a mask.

This is, in large part, why Scripture teaches us not to lie. For instance: Ephesians 4:25 – “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” Notice the last phrase here, which emphasizes our relationship with each other.

We are in relationship with each other in the body of Christ. And if we are dishonest with each other then it tears the community apart; the relationships that make up that community.

So lying is evil, but let me now impress upon you that it is not something that God winks at –

Lying is as evil as evil gets

1. Proverbs 6:16-19 – Lying covers two of the seven things that God hates. “There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eye, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.” Lying shows up twice! God hates lying; it is an abomination to him.

2. 1 Timothy 1:10 – Lying is classed with sins such as homosexual practice, killing your parents and more generally, murder. Are these other items “really sinful” in your mind? Well the point is – so is lying!

3. Psalm 101:5 – This verse tells us that God himself will destroy a secret slanderer – someone who goes around whispering falsehoods about others to tear them down. God will tear them down.

4. Acts 5 – Ananias and Sapphira are killed by God for lying about their contribution to the church

5. Revelation 21:27; 21:8

  • The first verse tells us that liars are not permitted into the eternal city of God in the age to come.
  • Revelation 21:8 says of liars, “their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

So, it should be clear –

We have to make a choice!

Will we be honest or will we allow dishonesty a place in our life? Perhaps you think it might make your life a little easier at points to allow some dishonesty.

So lets be clear – if we take the path of lying we are choosing Satan to be our father. Jesus says to the Pharisees – John 8:44 – “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. . . . When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” When you lie, you imitate Satan – like father like son.

But if we take the path of honesty, we choose God as our Father – for

  • God “never lies” – Titus 1:2
  • Indeed God “cannot lie” – Hebrews 6:18

So, we have to make a choice.  Finally, let me tell you that –

We will be blessed if we speak the truth

And we need to know this and remember it, because it can be hard to be honest at times.

  • Proverbs 12:22 says, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.” When we are honest we please the Lord.
  • Revelation 14:5 states that those who speak the truth are the ones who will be with Jesus forever in the kingdom of God. They will follow – the Lamb- wherever he goes, for, it says, there was “not a lie found in their mouths.”

So, let us speak the truth to one another. For the sake of love for each other, and our relationships and for the sake of our relationship with God. And if we have not spoken the truth, if you have not I encourage you to make it right before God and before your sister or brother. Amen?

Lets stand together and close by reading Ephesians 4:25 – “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” William Higgins

Read Full Post »

Scripture Collection: “You will have to give an account for every careless word you utter”

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , on April 22, 2008|

Our speech reveals who we really are. It shows what is in our heart:

Matthew 12:33-35 – “Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person brings good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil things out of an evil treasure.”

For this reason, we will be judged based upon our words:

Matthew 12:36-37 – “I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

You can be as religious as you want, but if you don’t control your tongue it is worthless:

James 1:26 – “If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues, but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.”

Where there is much talking, there is sin:

Proverbs 10:19 – “When words are many transgression is not lacking; but the prudent are restrained in speech.”

Proverbs 13:3 – “Those who guard their mouth preserve their lives; those who open wide their lips come to ruin.”

James 3:2/8 – “Anyone who makes no mistakes is speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. . .. No one can tame the tongue – a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”

Those who speak one thing is secret and another in public will be exposed by God:

Luke 12:2-3 – “Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed from the housetops.”

Psalm 101:5 – David said, “One who secretly slanders a neighbor I will destroy.”

Those who use words to tear down others will be judged:

Matthew 5:22 – “If you are angry with a brother, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You fool!’ you will be liable to the hell of fire.”

We should rather use our words to build up others:

Ephesians 4:29 “Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear.”

We must not misuse God’s name. Rather we pray that it be hallowed:

Exodus 20:7 – “You shall not make wrongful use of the name of Yahweh your God, for Yahweh will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.”

Matthew 6:9 – “Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, your name be hallowed.”

We are not to swear promises to others, but simply say yes or no when we make commitments:

Matthew 5:34-37 – “Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be, ‘Yes, yes’ or No, no;’ anything more than this comes from the evil one.”

James 5:12 – “Above all my beloved, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your ‘Yes’ be yes and your ‘No’ be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.”

We are not to boast or have arrogant speech:

James 4:13-16 – “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.’ Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring . . .. Indeed you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.”

We are to have pure speech with thanksgiving:

Ephesians 5:3-4 – “But fornication and impurity of any kind, or greed, must not even be mentioned among you, as is proper among saints. Entirely out of place is obscene, silly, and vulgar talk; but instead let there be thanksgiving.”

We are to speak the truth:

Ephesians 4:25 – “So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors.”

William Higgins

Read Full Post »

The Folly of Boasting

Posted in Daniel 4, James 4, tagged , , , on April 13, 2008|

We are looking at righteous speech and today we remind ourselves of “The Folly of Boasting.” Our text is James 4:13-17:

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

All about boasting

Boasting means to brag; to call attention to yourself in a prideful way with regard to your accomplishments and abilities. It means to lift yourself up in the eyes of others through your words; to glorify yourself. Now this all assumes that what you are saying is true, otherwise we are dealing with lying. But there is also exaggeration – stretching the truth about yourself, which is a common form of boasting.

The root of it all is an overly exalted view of who we are, or pride. And just as Jesus says, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” Matthew 12:34, so boasting words come forth from a heart that is proud, lifted up, and arrogant.

We have a good example, from out text:

  • Someone who thinks he has control enough of his life to say what he will do next year or even tomorrow.
  • This leads to the boast – “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit” – v. 13.
  • James call this “arrogance” – v. 16.

Now, in our culture boasting is no big thing. Politicians regularly exaggerate and take credit for things they shouldn’t. But we say that’s just politics. Athletes as well boast as a regular part of their routine. So let me make this point as clearly as possible. Boasting is a big deal to God. In fact . . .

Boasting brings disaster

  • James 4:16-17 says that it is “evil” and a “sin.”

  • 2 Timothy 3:2 lists it as a sign of the corruption of the end times which we live in.

  • Romans 1:30 lists it as a sin that deserves death, along with things like murder and God-hating.

Now the reason I say boasting brings disaster is that God takes it upon himself to humble the proud boaster. I Corinthians 1:28-29 tells us that God brings to nothing those that are exalted, “so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”

In Matthew 23:12 Jesus says, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” These phrases are “divine passives.” So it means that God will lift up the lowly and God will bring down the boaster. This speaks to the folly or foolishness of boasting. Do you really want God as your enemy? Speaking of being humbled, lets look at . . .

The story of Nebuchadnezzar – Daniel 4

One day this powerful king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, and he boasted: ‘Look at this great city of Babylon! By my own mighty power, I have built this beautiful city as my royal residence to display my majestic splendor.’

Remember what happens? While these words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice from heaven told him that he was no longer King and he would live like a wild animal.

The story goes on, “that same hour the judgment was fulfilled, and Nebuchadnezzar was driven from human society. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven. He lived this way until his hair was as long as eagles’ feathers and his nails were like birds’ claws” (Daniel 4:33 NLT).

After the king came back to his senses, he had learned his lesson. He said, “The most high God’s rule is everlasting, and his kingdom is eternal. All the people of the earth are nothing compared to him. . ..” He went on to say – “I . . . praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble the proud.”

If God can humble such a one, he can certainly humble us. So that this need not happen, lets look at . . .

The cure for boasting before God: The truth

This speaks to our overly exalted view of who we are. We need to pull off the blinders and see reality.

The truth is that we are small and powerless in this world. To those who boasted about tomorrow – James 4:14 says, “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” He goes on to tell them that they don’t even know what tomorrow will bring.

As Jesus said in Matthew 5:36, we can’t even make one hair of our head white or black (he is not talking about dying our hair here).

We should recognize how small and powerless we are, so that we say about the future – “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that” v. 15. Tomorrow is in God’s hands, not ours. Our very lives are in God’s hands.

The truth is that all we have is given to us by God. I Corinthians 4:7 says, “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?”

Are you talented? Do you have many gifts, abilities, and accomplishments? It is all only because God made you able to do these things. You can’t take credit for it. You have to give thanks to God for your gifts and accomplishments. Because without God, you are literally nothing.

The truth is that God will never owe us praise, as if we can impress God. Indeed, even if we are perfect in our behavior, we have only done what we were supposed to do in the first place!

In Luke 17:10 Jesus says, “When you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.” You don’t earn credit from God for doing what you were supposed to do in the first place.

Paul knew this. He said in 1 Corinthians 9:16, “For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!”

So, for all these reasons, we have no basis for boasting before God. But we also boast before others. And . . .

The cure for boasting before others: Love

That’s because love does not exalt itself over others. 1 Corinthians 13:4 says, “Love does not . . . boast; it is not arrogant . . .”

  • Pride leads you to lift yourself up over others – even to lift yourself up by pushing others down below you.
  • But love is not self-centered. Love leads you to lower yourself in order to lift others up to serve and to help.

If we have a problem comparing ourselves to others and then boasting, what we need is a dose of love for others in our heart.

Three rules for humble speech

1. Let your actions speak for you. In 2 Corinthians 12:6 Paul says, “I refrain from boasting, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.”

Yes, there are times when you have to say what you do well and what you have done, like in a job interview. And we should be able to assess ourselves and know what we do well and not so well – without exaggeration.

But other than being asked, live your life and let that speak for you.
 
2. Let others praise you. Proverbs 27:2 says, “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.” You can boast about others. Paul boasts on his converts. So this is fine. But don’t boast about yourself.

3. If you must boast, boast in the Lord. This idea comes from various Old Testament references (Psalm 44:8; Psalm 34:2, Jeremiah 9:23-24). We boast in the Lord by praising him for whatever is good in our lives.

Paul talks about this in 1 Corinthians 1:31 – “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” But with regard to himself he says in 2 Corinthians 12:9 – “I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses.”  

So you speak of how the Lord is working and do so in a way that highlights your weakness and God’s strength. This turns boasting inside out, and uses your mouth for what it was made for: instead of glorifying yourself – you glorify the Lord.

William Higgins

Read Full Post »

Facing An Impossible Situation: Jehoshaphat and the Battle of Beracah

Posted in 2 Chronicles 20, tagged , , , , on March 9, 2008|

Last week we looked at a low point in King Jehoshaphat’s life, his wrongful partnership with the evil king Ahab and how God rebuked him for this. Today we look the high point of Jehoshaphat’s rule – the battle of Beracah in 2 Chronicles 20.

An Impossible Situation

2 Chronicles 20:2 says,  “Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, ‘A great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea; and, behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar’ (that is, Engedi).” The neighboring peoples of Moab, Ammon and a group of people called the Meunites who lived on the outskirts of Edom gathered at Engedi, inside the territory of Judah. They were a “great horde.” That is, they were a bigger army than what Jehoshaphat had,  by a good margin. And here they were, only 25 miles from Jerusalem! Jehoshaphat had been caught by surprise.

20:3 says, “Then Jehoshaphat was afraid.” This is an understandable and natural response. He knew their intention was to wipe them out from the Land God gave them, as he says in verse 11. So this was a serious threat and he was afraid.

But, what makes this story great is that he wasn’t overwhelmed by his fear. He wasn’t controlled by his fear. He took a different path. Which is why we are looking at this story.

Because, we also face impossible situations in our life circumstances. God calls us to do something and there is an insurmountable obstacle in our way. Or we are walking through life and we are overwhelmed by a problem that we can’t solve. So we want to look at this story of Jehoshaphat and take note of seven things we learn from this story, that can help us.

1. Seek God in prayer

Jehoshaphat “set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah assembled to seek help from the Lord; from all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.” – (vs. 3-4). Jehoshaphat led in offering up prayer. By the way, this prayer (vs. 6-12) is one of the best prayers in all the Bible! Read it through sometime. We will look at parts of it below.

But the point is that he brought this problem to the Lord. He didn’t try to carry it himself.

And we need to bring our burdens to the Lord in prayer as well. When we feel overwhelmed and when it is too much for us to take – we need to go to the Lord.

2. Acknowledge your need

Jehoshaphat does this in his prayer – “For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us . . . We do not know what to do . . .” – (v. 12).  This is not a time to be puffed up! Jehoshaphat doesn’t come out and say – “Don’t worry, I can handle this.” He recognized that it was a time to be humble before the Lord. “Hey, we’re  weak and clueless, Lord. We’re in bad shape here.”

And we need to be humble too in our difficult situations. We need to acknowledge that we too are weak and that we too don’t know what to do – before the Lord and others.

3. Rely on God’s resources

Jehoshaphat, in his weakness, looked to God for strength and wisdom. In his prayer he said:

  • “In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you” – (20:6). We are weak by you are strong.
  • “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” – (20:12). We look to you because you do know what to do.

God has all the resources that we need, and we need to tap into these: When we are too weak to act – God can give us strength. When we don’t know what to do – God can give us wisdom. We need to rely on God’s resources.

4. Trust in God’s promises

Jehoshaphat recalls two specific promises from God in his prayer:

  1. God’s promise to give the land to Abraham’s descendents – Genesis 12:7. He says,  “Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?” – (v. 7). He refers to the promise in Genesis here.
  2. God’s promise to hear temple prayers – 2 Chronicles 6:28-30. Jehoshaphat practically quotes from Solomon’s prayer of dedication for the temple – “If disaster comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before you— for your name is in this house—and cry out to you in our affliction, and you will hear and save.” – (v. 9). Solomon asked that God would hear his people’s prayers, offered at the temple, and God affirmed that he would, when he sent fire down and filled the temple with his glory – (2 Chronicles 7:1).

And we need to trust in God’s promises too. We find these promises in his word. For instance:

  • Jesus promises – “I am with you always, to the end of the age” – Matthew 28:20.
  • We are promised that God will hear our prayers – “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” – Matthew 7:7.
  • We are promised that he will give us strength when we are weak – “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9

5. Receive God’s direction

Verse 14 says, “And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel . . . ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s.’” The Lord spoke through him to give them some specific instructions – vs. 16-17:

  • Tomorrow go out
  • They will be by the ascent of Ziz . . . east of Jeruel
  • Wait for God who will fight for you

In the same way, we need to listen for God’s wisdom and direction. We do this by listening in prayer, by reading God’s word, and by receiving godly counsel from sisters and brothers in the Lord. In all of this we seek to be led by the Spirit.

6. Act in faith

When they got up to go out to battle the next day, Jehoshaphat said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed” – (v. 20).

Can you imagine this! Going against a vastly bigger foe. Going out, not even expecting to fight – and their lives were on the line. Jehoshaphat is saying – believe in God and what he has said, and act on this belief – even at great risk. If you do this God will bring about victory.

Sure enough. When they acted in faith, God gave them the victory. God turned the enemy on each other and they were wiped out. Judah did not even have to fight or lift a finger.

Well, we too need to act on our faith. We need to believe what God tells us and move forward based on his word, not what we see according to the flesh. As Paul says, “we walk by faith, not by sight” – 2 Corinthians 5:7. When we do this, God will give us victory in our impossible situations.

7. Give praise to God

They really give praise to God throughout this story – when God gave them direction through the prophet, and after they had won. And it is important to praise God when he answers our prayers. They even named the place of the battle “Beracah” – for their they blessed the Lord, as it says in v. 26.

But what is even more amazing is the role that praise played in bringing about the answer during the battle. Jehoshaphat “appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, [and] they went before the army, and [said], ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.’” – (v. 21). He sets the worship team in front of the army!

Then verse 22 says, “And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed.” This is what brought the victory. It was when they began to praise God that the Lord acted on their behalf.

And we need to give praise to God even in the midst of our struggle. We need to praise God for his faithfulness to us and his promises to us; for his power and wisdom. And as we express in a bold way our faith in God and his steadfast love for us through praise – God is pleased to act on our behalf and give us the victory.

So these are seven things to do in an impossible situation. May we learn from this story and receive God’s victory in our lives. William Higgins

Read Full Post »

Dangerous Partnerships: The story of Jehoshaphat & Ahab

Posted in 2 Chronicles 17, 2 Chronicles 18, 2 Chronicles 19, tagged , , on March 1, 2008| 1 Comment »

Today we begin looking at the story of Jehoshaphat. We will see what we can learn from this. Lets begin by getting oriented. Jehoshaphat was the fourth king of the southern kingdom of Judah, the son of Asa, of the line of David. He ruled for 25 years. His story is told in 1 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 17-20. We will focus on 2 Chronicles 18.

The Story Begins

 . . . and it begins well in chapter 17. We will look at this briefly to set the stage. First we see a picture of . . .
 

1) Jehoshaphat the faithful. He walked in God’s ways – “The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. . . . (He) sought the God of his father and walked in his commandments. . . His heart was courageous in the ways of the Lord” – 2 Chronicles 17:3-6.

Not only was he faithful – he was a reformer. He led the people to be faithful as well (like his father Asa).

  • v. 6 – he took away the high places and Asherim
  • vs. 7-9 – he began a program that taught the people the Law of God

Next we see portrayed . . .

2) Jehoshaphat the blessed.

  • 17:5 – He had great wealth
  • 17:10-11 – The nations feared him – so there was no war, but rather they gave him tribute
  • 17:12-19 – He had a large army

These are all tokens of God’s blessing in this context. This brings us to our focus today:

Jehoshaphat’s Unrighteous Alliance

King Ahab, the king of the northern kingdom of Israel was a very wicked man, who opposed Yahweh. He certainly did not walk in God’s ways. You will remember him from the stories of Elijah. His wife was Jezebel, the infamous queen. There was nothing righteous about Ahab.

Yet in chapter 18, we find that Jehoshaphat enters into a partnership with him.

  1. “He made a marriage alliance with Ahab” – 18:1. That is, he gave his son in marriage to Ahab’s daughter.
  2. “After some years he went down to Ahab in Samaria” – 18:2. He left Jerusalem, his proper responsibilities as God’s regent and went to be with Ahab. They had a great party with lots of food.
  3. Ahab “induced” or enticed him to form a league with him to retake a disputed city in northern Israel – Ramoth-gilead. This is the same word that I Chronicles 21:1 says about Satan enticing David to sin by means of the census.

The result of all this is that Jehoshaphat proclaims – “I am as you are, my people as your people. We will be with you in the war” – 2 Chronicles 18:3.

But first, Jehoshaphat wanted to inquire of the Lord – 18:4. Perhaps some hesitation on his part? And then we have one of the most interesting stories in the Bible, which we can’t get into in detail, but with regard to our focus – 

  • 400 prophets predict that they should go out to war for they will be successful. But Jehoshaphat want to know if there is another prophet. So Ahab brings out . . .
  • Micaiah who always prophesies bad things about Ahab. And, sure enough, he predicts that Ahab will be killed and that this is God’s purpose.

Despite his misgivings(?) Jehoshaphat goes forward with the plan. After all it was 400 to 1!

Ahab proceeds to imprison Micaiah. But just in case, he disguises himself and also encourages Jehoshaphat to wear his royal attire, thus making him the target of the enemy.

And sure enough, the enemy all came after Jehoshaphat thinking he was Ahab and he barely escaped death. God intervened to help him. Though disguised, Ahab is killed and Israel is defeated. And finally, Jehoshaphat slinks back to Jerusalem, humiliated by his bad decision.

Jehu’s Rebuke

Once back, the Lord rebukes him through his prophet Jehu, whose father, by the way, had rebuked Jehoshaphat’s father – King Asa. Jehu says, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord?” – 19:2. In other words, he should not have made a partnership with an evil king, who was God’s enemy. It forced him to comprise his faithfulness to God – being away from his job of leading Judah, helping the wicked; participating in the persecution of a true prophet – Micaiah.

He received mercy: Jehu says, “Nevertheless, some good is found in you, for you destroyed the Asherahs out of the land, and have set your heart to seek God” – 19:3. He was rescued on the battlefield and was allowed to continue as king.

But he also received a word of judgment: Jehu says, “Because of this, wrath has gone out against you from the Lord” – 19:2. Sin never pays! The woman he married his son to – King Ahab’s daughter – later, after Jehoshaphat died, killed off the line of David. Only by divine intervention was one saved – 2 Chronicles 22:10-12. All of Jehoshaphat’s male children and grandchildren were killed – save one.

This reminds us, sadly, that we reap what we sow. But, not only that, so many times our sin ends up wounding those we love more than us.

After Jehu’s rebuke, Jehoshaphat got back on track. The rest of chapter 19 he went back to reforming Judah. This is what he should have been doing all along, instead of going to be with Ahab.

Lessons For Us

Jehoshaphat was an ancient king, but he is not so different than us, for we do similar things in our lives. And so we can learn from him.

1. We should not love the world. Like Jehu told Jehoshaphat about his seeking an alliance with Ahab, he should not “love those who hate the Lord.” He was not satisfied with what God had given him, but was longing for something else among the nations around him.

Similarly, John tells us – “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” – 1 John 2:15. We also should not go about longing for what the world has. We should stay true to God.

2. We should not make partnerships with the world. I mean here, serious, committed relationships with unbelievers – dating, marriage, business – whatever. Just as Jehoshaphat allied himself with a wicked king.

Paul says about this, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols?” – 2 Corinthians 6:14-16. Believers and unbelievers have different values and commitments. We have different frameworks and directions to our lives.

These partnerships pressure us to sacrifice our faithfulness to God. When choices come along, you may want to keep your commitment to God, but you have to act in a way that works for the unbeliever as well. 

As James says, “whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” – James 4:4.

3. The world will not be a true partner to you. We need to learn this. The world will draw you in:

  • It will party with you (like Ahab with Jehoshaphat)
  • It will give you honor and acceptance (like Ahab gave to Jehoshaphat)
  • It will entice you to make compromises (like Ahab did with Jehoshaphat)

And, when you waver, it will pressure you to conform (like Ahab bringing out 400 prophets to 1). It will use peer pressure to make you stay in line.

But the world will betray you (just as Ahab set up Jehoshaphat by disguising himself and making Jehoshaphat the target of the enemy, not caring if he died).

You compromise your faithfulness to God, but you will get nothing from it.

______________

 May we learn from Jehoshaphat, so that we will not make the same mistakes. William Higgins

Read Full Post »

21 Traits of Love: A Test

Posted in 1 Corinthians 13, tagged , , , on December 30, 2007| Leave a Comment »

The Scriptures call us to love all people. But what does it mean to love someone? Pick someone to see if you love them. Go through the following traits of love and test yourself. Do you love them?

1. Love is shown through deeds – True love is not about words or good intentions. As 1 John 3:18 says, “let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” True love is expressed in deeds. When you see _______ in need, and you can help, do you act?

2. Love acts for the well-being of a person – Romans 13:10 says, “Love does no wrong to a neighbor.” God loved us by giving his Son for our salvation – John 3:16; Romans 5:8. If you love someone, you will not try to hurt them. Rather, you will try to do what is good for them. Through your words and actions do you harm, injure or hurt _______? Or do you seek what is good for him/her?

3. Love builds others up – 1 Corinthians 8:1 says, “knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.” It is easy to put down others when you think you know more than they do or that you are smarter than them. But love doesn’t act this way. Love seeks to lift others up through encouragement and help. Do you encourage and strengthen _______? Or, do you discourage and tear him/her down?

4. Love is not self-centered – Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:5, “Love does not insist on its own way.”  Love listens to others and is considerate of their point of view. Love is not pushy only wanting to get its own way. Are you considerate of _______ and what they think? Or do you simply try to get what you want?

5. Love is glad for the success of others – This shows up in two phrases in 1 Corinthians 13 – “Love does not envy” – (v. 4) and “Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing” or as some translations put it – “does not gloat over the failure of others” – (v. 6). Since life is not all about you, you can be happy when others do well in life. Are you glad when _______ does well?

6. Love is respectful of others – 1 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Love is not rude.” It does not dishonor others. Love shows dignity and honor to others. Do you show proper respect to _______?

7. Love is kind to others – 1 Corinthians 13:4 says “Love is kind.” This is a broad word that means tenderhearted, considerate, compassionate, gentle and merciful. Are you kind and gentle to _______?

8. Love is humble before others – Two phrases from 1 Corinthians 13:4 make this point – “Love does not boast” and “Love is not arrogant.” Love does not cause us to lift ourselves over others, but to lower ourselves before them. Do you show humility to ______?

9. Love serves others – Paul says, “through love serve one another” – Galatians 5:13. We lower ourselves in order to help others with their needs. Are you willing to serve _______?

10. Love sacrifices for others – This is a central part of what love is about. Jesus says in John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.” John says, “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers” (1 John 3:16). Are you willing to sacrifice to help ______ with what he/she truly needs?

11. Love is giving – 1 John 3:17 says, “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”  If _______ has a real material need, and you can help, do you?

12. Love is honest – Ephesians 4:15 talks about “speaking the truth in love.” 1 Corinthians 13:6 says, “Love . . . rejoices with the truth.” Sometimes we don’t speak the truth because we don’t want to hurt someone, or cause trouble. So we keep quiet when there is a problem. But love means you have integrity with others. You are honest, not to hurt them, but so you can have a real relationship with them, not an artificial one. Are you honest with _______ when there is a problem? Or are you two-faced?

13. Love is slow to anger – 1 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Love is not irritable” or “Is not easily angered.” Love is not quick tempered, but is willing to overlook minor offenses. Are you quick to find fault or express your anger towards _______?

14. Love is longsuffering – 1 Corinthians 13:4 says, “love is patient.” The word means longsuffering, which means you are able to suffer for a long time. 1 Corinthians 13:7 says “love bears all things.” That is, it puts up with annoyance or difficulty. Similarly 1 Corinthians 13:8 says, “love endures all things.” Do you bear with _______ weaknesses and endure his/her failings? Or are you impatient and intolerant?

15. Love seeks peace with others – Colossians 2:2 speaks of hearts “being knit together in love.” Love draws people together. Colossians 3:14 says, “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Verse 15 then goes on to talk about unity in the church. When there is conflict or misunderstanding, love compels you to do the hard work necessary to find peace with the other person. Are you willing to seek peace with _______?

16. Love forgives – Paul says, “Love does not keep a record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:5). Peter says, “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). To cover sins is another way of talking about forgiveness.  Are you willing to forgive _______? Or do you hold resentments and bitterness?

17. Love is trusting – 1 Corinthians 13:7 says, “Love believes all things.” This doesn’t mean that you are naïve. It means that, unless there is good evidence to the contrary, you are willing to extend trust. Are you willing to believe _______? Or are you overly suspicious and distrustful?

18. Love is hopeful – 1 Corinthians 13:7 says, “Love hopes all things.” Love is optimistic, even when things aren’t going well. You leave the door open to healing with the other person. Are you open to healing with _______?

19. Love is a commitment – It is not based on feelings, which can come and go. God commands us “you shall love your neighbor as yourself” – Mark 12:31. You can’t command a feeling, but you can command a choice and a commitment. Are you committed to love _________ whether you feel like it or not?

20. Love is impartial – You don’t take into account how someone might be different than you, or how favoring them might help you. Speaking of favoring the rich over the poor, James 2:8-9 says, “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.” This would also apply to other social distinctions as well. If _______ is different than you in race, economic status or social status, does this affect your love?

21. Love is not based on how the person treats you – Jesus says, “Love your enemies . . . For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?” (Matthew 5:44, 46). Paul says, “overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). Even if someone harms you, you will not return harm for harm, but return love and good. Do you love _______ even when he/she doesn’t love you or treat you well? Or do you try to get even?

How did you do? If you find yourself struggling, don’t be surprised. It is very difficult to love someone in this way. This kind of love does not come naturally from the human heart. Rather this kind of love comes from God, because God is this kind of love (I John 4:7). This love is supernatural. It is a fruit of the Spirit of God working in our lives (Galatians 5:22).

Since this is so, we should pray that God will change our heart and empower us to love others in this supernatural way.

William Higgins

Read Full Post »

Jesus, our Teacher

Posted in Matthew 23, tagged , , , on September 19, 2007| 1 Comment »

Last week, we talked about Jesus our Savior. But for many Christians today that’s as far as it goes, because they go on and live their lives according to whatever they think is best or according to whoever they choose to listen to. But as scripture teaches us Jesus in not just our Savior,

Jesus is also our teacher

In fact, as Jesus says in Matthew 23:10 – “you have one teacher, the Christ.” In other words, Jesus is telling us that he is our one teacher; he is our true teacher. This means that

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Ways You Can Help Others Begin Following Jesus

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , on May 20, 2007| Leave a Comment »

Perhaps you feel that you are not gifted as an evangelist and this stands in the way of you sharing your faith. Well, here are some ways for you to be involved in this that doesn’t require you to be gifted as an evangelist. This is for those of you who have trouble initiating conversations, engaging people directly and are simply shy.

1. Pray for those who are not yet committed followers of Jesus

Pray for specific people, including our young people who are not yet baptized, and also neighbors & friends. And pray for them regularly. Pray that God will work in their lives; that their eyes will be opened; their heart will be softened; that they will commit to follow Jesus.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

Two Essentials For Following Jesus

Posted in Mark 14, Matthew 19, tagged , , , , on October 4, 2006|

I want to share this morning about “Two Essentials for Following Jesus” and I want to begin by pointing out something you already know . . .

Jesus’ way can be hard

Its not always easy to follow Jesus. Some people like to make it sound like being a Christian solves all your problems, (and it does solve a lot). But the reality is that following Jesus can actually make your life harder than it was before.

(more…)

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts