Ephesians 5:1

Sons;

One of the verses I use during the school year is Ephesians 5:1 - "Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children."  This is, of course, Paul writing to the church in Ephesus; in the previous chapter, Paul had been commenting on the "Christian walk," how we are supposed to act as Christians.  He follows this by a command, and a context for that command.

The command is simple - follow God's example, and do what He does.  Of course, you have to use your common sense, as no one is expecting you to create a universe in the next six days.  Rather, it means to exhibit the same attributes as God - honest, loving, kind: all the different things that it is good for us to be.  God models those things, and we follow.

Next, Paul puts this in context - do this as dearly loved children.  As children, we all imitated someone in some way, because that's how children learn.  Of course, ideally you learn from the example of your parents (which is a lesson to all of us, that we need to be careful in our walk for the sake of those who would follow our lead).  Because God loves us so much, He does all good things for us - He gives to us the best of who He is.  In return, we should do the same and give to Him the best of who we are. 

Sounds simple, right?  Well, it is and it isn't.  Like so many things in the Bible, the concept itself is easy enough to understand, but the practice is a whole different story.  We spend our lives putting this command into practice, constantly striving to do better at it at all times.  So, that's our goal, follow God's example, especially as we set the example for others! 

Love,

Dad

Romans 8:32

Sons;

The verse for today's class was Romans 8:32 - "He did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all - how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?"  First, we have to realize that this is Paul writing, and Paul often gets all tied up with his pronouns, or otherwise it would read like this: "God did not spare His own Son, but gave Christ up for us all - how will God not also, along with Christ, graciously give us all things?" 

Either way, the meaning is clear, and speaks to the subject of faith.  If God will make the ultimate sacrifice for us, to wit: Jesus' death on the cross, then we can be assured that He will take care of everything else.  I think this has applications to both now (God provides for our needs) and in Heaven (where we will have all things).  We have to remember that God's promises to us extend beyond our life here and into eternity.  

So, we can rest confidently in God's love for us - the greatest example has already been made, and the rest is just a reminder of how true and magnificently generous His love for us is.  

Love,

Dad

Deuteronomy 30:16

Sons;

One of the verses I use in class is Deuteronomy 30:16 - "I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the Lord your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it."  This is, of course, Moses speaking to the Israelites just before his death, and he is making a statement of about God's promise for the future.  If the Israelites will love God (and to love God is to keep His commandments), then He will bless them as they move into the Promised Land.  Certainly, the land has been promised to them (via Abraham), but God is now saying, "I will not only give you this land, but I will also bless you in being there."

So, that's great for a group of (briefly) semi-nomadic laborers who are about to turn into farmers.  What does this have to do with us?  After all, we aren't about to enter into a new land and take it over!  But, I would say to you that, in fact, you are entering new lands to possess them.

Think about it this way.  God has a plan for our lives, things that He wants for us, and wants us to do.  We are in school, or taking on new jobs, or what have you - whatever new thing it is, it is a "new land" that we are taking over.  So, if we want to do well in this job, if we want God's blessing on our efforts, then we must love and obey Him.  It's as simple as that.  And of course it need not be only jobs or school - this can be with families, with churches, with anything.  As we honor God in our actions, He honors and blesses us.  

I want to encourage you to see your life as an adventure, a moving into new places, and in that encourage you to live in such a way that God pours out His blessings on you as it says in Luke 6:38 - "a good measure - pressed down, shaken together, and running over!"

Love,

Dad

James 3:17

Sons;

Today's verse in class was James 3:17 - "But the wisdom that comes from Heaven is first of all pure.  It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others.  It is full of mercy and good deeds."  At first look this seems to be only a descriptor, but then we realize how this list can be used.

Certainly, it is a descriptor.  This is what wisdom from God looks like.  It is pure, there is nothing "bad" involved with it.  It is something that works to end arguments, not to start them.  This wisdom is gentle, never aggressive or "in your face."  It has a willingness to yield, to give precedence to others.  It has mercy, giving forgiveness and aid where it is not deserved.  It leads to good deeds, to making the world a better place rather than making it worse.  And these are all good things!

So, how do we use this?  By using it to test our own "wisdom."  When we are pondering doing something, we can compare the results of using our wisdom with that illustrated in this list.  If it will cause arguments, will involve sin, and so on, then it is not from Heaven (and we shouldn't be doing it!).  This provides us a way to weigh our thoughts and see if they match up with God's will.  This is a blessing from God, to give us a way to evaluate what we are doing in light of what He wants us to do.  

I would suggest that this is a verse worth memorizing, or at least keeping in mind.  You'll never know when you'll need to check on your ideas!

Love,

Dad

Luke 6:27-28

Sons;

One of the verses I use is Luke 6:27-28 - "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."  As with most of the "classic" verses, we've heard this before, and we usually just let it go in one spiritual ear and out the other.  However, like all scripture, it deserves a closer look.

And our first thought is:  "Man, the Bible is inconvenient!"    This is not what we want to do, this is not "natural" for humans.  We are born with a "sin nature" that makes us want to lash out at all those who do us wrong, who offend our sense of justice, who do and say bad things to us.  It's the way we are made!  But, we are Christians, and we are called to do things that go against our nature - righteousness (doing the right thing even when you don't want to) is an effort, or everyone would do it.  And I think God uses that to strengthen us spiritually.  So, we are Christians, and we must love (not necessarily associate or be pals with, but love), and do good, and bless and pray.  And certainly the pray is easy enough, and a good place to start.  [Pray that God will help you carry out this commandment in relation to whomever.]

So, there's that part of it, but also in doing so we are demonstrating what being a Christian is like.  Whether we like it or not, we are witnesses to everyone around us.  If they know we say we are Christian, then our every word and deed will be parsed and checked to see if we live up to what we say - do we put our money where our mouth is?  If so, if we show this love, we stand a much greater chance of cultivating an interest in being a Christian - planting a seed - than if we don't.  Even those who don't know us respond to the spirit within us, and  know that something is different in our lives.  By loving those who wrong us, we show what the Kingdom of God is worth.

Then, there is the idea that it is the best way to deal with such people - nothing irritates people who want to be mean and hurt others more than to see that it's not working.  Paul quoting Proverbs 25 says it best: "Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord. 'But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:17-21)  You show yourself to be morally better, you make them look bad in front of others and who knows, you may win a friend out of it in the end.

We should note, as well, that God does indeed say, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay."  Getting revenge for anything done to us is not our responsibility.  We are to focus on doing good, and let God deal with the rest.  Why?  Because we are human, and the temptation to let our revenge get out of hand will be too much for many to handle.  ("Eye for an eye" is the Old Testament way of keeping revenge from going too far.)  And God's revenge is there - He does not let people get away with messing with His children.  Certainly there will be payment in eternity, but sometimes even in this world.  Your grandfather once had bad things said about him in court by a cousin, but did not seek revenge.  Before the year was out, the cousin was dead, and his family dispersed.  I cannot prove that that is God's vengeance (and he does not say much about it, either), but I always think that it could be.  That idea should give us pause, at least.

Finally, and absolutely most importantly, we should obey Jesus in this because it is what is best for us.  God does not want us to get trapped in a world of anger, rage, hurting people because they hurt us, a perpetual cycle.  That's not the life He has planned for us.  Treating our enemies in a godly way is always more about us than it is about them.  It keeps us pure, it does not rob us of our joy, and it will thwart the evil that only seeks to create more evil.  Practice this, and in doing so live a full and fruitful life (God promises in Proverbs 25:22 to reward us for being this way), which is what we want for you, more than all else, to have.

Love,

Dad

2 Timothy 1:7

Sons;

One of your grandmother's favorite verses is the one I use today in class, 2 Timothy 1:7 - "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline."  On the plaque she gave me with this verse on it, "discipline" is translated as "sound, well-balanced mind."  Regardless of my personal connection to this verse through her, I think it a very important one to consider as we think about our Christian life.

Here, Paul speaks directly to the subject of "who are we, and what are we like?"  Because we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we are not timid.  Oh, we may act that way, but that's not who we really are anymore.  Instead, we are powerful (certainly in mind and in faith), we can love (as Christ loves us), and we are disciplined (which refers to, I think, righteousness - doing the right thing even when you don't want to).  So, if that's who we are as Christians, why don't we all act that way?  

Because, for one, you have to realize that this is true.  If you don't know that you have this spirit, then you can't utilize it in your life.  That's fixed now, of course, because by the very act of reading this, you know the truth.  Also, though we do have these traits, we still have to exercise them.  We all have muscles, but we cannot pick up a 100-pound weight unless we train our muscles, use them, strengthen them.  That is the same here - we must use our power as Christians to face whatever comes; we must love others truly and not in the superficial and shallow way of the world; we must discipline our minds so that we do what is good and not what is evil.  

I encourage you to make this a verse you memorize and carry with you, so that when you need to, you can remind yourself of what you are really like - not the frightened rabbit that the world wants you to be, but the roaring lion that God has made you to be!

Love,

Dad

Revelation 1:8

Sons;

Today's verse for class was Revelation 1:8 - "'I am the Alpha and Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.'"  John, the author of Revelations, is exiled on the Mediterranean island of Patmos, when God gives him this experience (vision? altered reality?) of future events.  To start this off, however, God gives John His credentials - sort of, "This is who I am."  

God's self-identification (which is, really, the only identification that counts) displays, I think, God's relationship to time.  In saying "Alpha and Omega" He is saying, "the Beginning and the End."  He is the one who created the universe, and will end it when the time comes.  "Who is and who was and who is to come," refers to the idea of permanence - He is the same now as He was, He will be the same as He is now, and that state is one that exists beyond the beginning and ending of time as we currently understand it.

Much has been made of God's relationship to time, though many don't realize they are asking that.  For instance, the question of free will versus God already knowing what will happen, is really a question of time.  That question is: is God stuck in time with us and unable to see the future, or is He somehow beyond time?  We experience time as an arrow, a straight line from a starting point to a definite end (whenever that is).  How does God see it?

This is my theory.  God sustains the universe, setting it into motion and continually perpetuating its existence through His power.  However, it is a created thing - the universe is subject to the physical laws God created, but He Himself is not bound by those physical laws.  The created cannot be greater than the creator.  As creator, God is beyond the concept of time as it applies to us.  God sees all of time in this universe all at once, as if He were holding the universe in His hand and it all plays out at the same time.  That is how God gives us free will but still knows what will happen - because He sees our actions, the results, and how it all fits together into His plan at the same time.  A large concept, I know.

So, of what practical relevance is this?  Well, it's useful to know that our future actions are not determined for us, as if we were puppets, but it's very comforting to know that God knows how it's all going to work out, and makes sure to actively work in our lives (and this universe) to keep His promise that we will have a future and a hope, that all things work together for good for those who love Him.  Also, it speaks to the nature of God, to wit: God is so far greater than we are, that we simply have no way to fully understand Him.  Even though I can say how God sees time, I have no idea what that experience would be like, and there will never be a way (in this world) to explain it.  God is Almighty, and that is enough for us.

Love,

Dad

1 Peter 4:7

Sons;

Today, the verse for class is 1 Peter 4:7 - "The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober [spirit] for the purpose of prayer."  This may seem odd at first - Peter wrote not quite 2000 years ago, and we're still here.  But, I think we need to look at how the early disciples (Paul included) viewed things.  They expected the imminent return of Christ - it is something that would happen within their lifetime, some thought.  So, in that sense Peter is making sense - it could happen today, so you should be doing the things Jesus wants you to be doing when He arrives.  Jesus talks about His return coming as a "thief in the night," unexpectedly happening, but there's no timeframe at all.

I think, though, that there is another lesson to be gained here.  For us, the end of all things is indeed near, because we have no idea what might happen to us.  James 4:13-15 tells us "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.' Yet you do now know what your life will be like tomorrow.  You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.  Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.'"  Today could indeed be our last day, and there is no way to know - only God knows, and He's not telling.  So, we should be prepared to face death.  

Now, that doesn't mean being "prayed up" so you can get into Heaven - that's "works theology," and has no place with us.  But, we should be doing the good that we can do now, as opposed to doing it later, because you may not have a later.  Be sound in what you do, so that your prayers will be effective as you pray for others (because, I suspect, when you get to Heaven it's too late to pray for someone), or be a good example, or any other such thing.  That's not to say that we should not plan for tomorrow - we should very much do so, but we need to be aware that tomorrow may not come.  "If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that."  In the end, not a bad way to think about it!

Love,

Dad

1 John 1:9

Sons;

One of the verses I use often, because I believe its message is important, is 1 John 1:9 - "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Of course, the initial message is rather obvious - God will forgive us of our sins.  That is in part what Christ's death on the cross is about, the "sacrifice" that is there to serve as payment for our sin.  There are deeper ideas, however, that show that there is much more going on, in terms of: who does God forgive; why does God forgive us; what do we do to have access to that forgiveness?

Who does God forgive?  He forgives those who ask for it.  If you don't ask, you won't receive it.  Part of this is an acknowledgement of sin, and without that acknowledgement, of admitting to God and self that we have gone against His will, God will not forgive us.  (Be sure and understand that I don't mean we will suddenly be utterly cast out of our salvation if we don't ask for forgiveness for every single sin we commit - I'm thinking more of the larger picture, vis-a-vis salvation.  God doesn't forgive everyone, but only those who come to Him.)

Why does God forgive us?  Because we have accepted the gift of Christ's salvation.  If we do not accept that He serves as payment for our sins, then we have nothing with which to come before God and say, "See, this is the payment for the debt I owe!"  Accept it, and Christ stands there with us, saying, "I will be their payment, forgive them."  God will have the debt be paid, either by us (which will not be pleasant, but will be eternal), or by Christ (which results in a much better environment for eternity).  Christ on the cross is God's way of opening a path by which we can have the debt paid.

What do we do to have access to that forgiveness?  We confess.  This is where we move from the larger picture to the personal.  Certainly salvation implies a confession, but on a day-to-day basis, we have to be serious about it.  God takes sin seriously, enough to have his Son executed on our behalf.  If we ask for forgiveness with the attitude of, "Oh, well, you caught me this time, so I guess I'd better ask for forgiveness, and maybe I won't be caught next time," then I don't think God forgives us, because we are not being serious.  If we take an attitude of "Yes, I have failed in doing the right thing, I want to wholeheartedly adjure that and strive not to have it happen again, please forgive me," then God will listen and carry out His promise.  

It's about attitude, a certain level of sincerity about it all. We must make sure that we get to the point in our relationship with God that we have a true attitude of seeking forgiveness, that we are sincere about it, about God, and about our relationship with Him.  That, after all, is what life is all about.

Love,

Dad

1 John 4:1

Sons;

We do not have to look far in the Bible to find verses that speak very loudly to our present day, such as 1 John 4:1 - "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."  Here in this context, John is using spirit to more refer to those who come claiming to be speaking from the work of the Holy Spirit, than "spirits" in the sense that we use the word today.

Of course, in today's world we would see this as a caution against cults, which it very much is.  Just after the life of Christ, religion in the Mediterranean world was in a great deal of flux, with all sort of religions, doctrines, and charismatic preachers wandering around.  Today, religion is a bit more stable, but there are still many who go around saying that they speak for God, that they are Christ returned, or have a new revelation.  We can think of many: Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Scientists - and that doesn't even go into the way-out groups like the Hare Krishnas, the Branch Davidians, and the list goes on.  Most of these we can laugh off, but sometimes there is just enough truth (or something sounding like truth) that it can trap the unwary.  If there is any doubt, we have to test what people tell us, by use of the Bible.  If someone is saying something that doesn't fit in the Bible, they are wrong, end of story.  And there are lots of people out there like that, who are laying in wait for those who are weak in spirit and knowledge to come along.

Also, we have to be aware of such things even in churches today.  Most pastors are very straight up, but occasionally one comes along with his own agenda, who twists scriptures or actions to fit his own desire or point-of-view.  So, what we hear from the pulpit should be checked as well, if you feel that there is a doubt.  Like I say, that's usually not the case, but as Christians it is our prerogative to judge the teaching of others - especially as leaders of families, where we would not want false ideas to take hold.  

So, be cautious, and if there is doubt, turn to the Bible for the truth.  Better a little effort now in finding out, than a lot of trouble later on!

Love,

Dad

Matthew 22:37

Sons;

One of the verses I use in class is Matthew 22:37 - "And He said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.'" (Mark, in his version, adds strength as well.) Jesus is here responding to a pharisee who has asked, what is the most important commandment?  His reply is one that we have heard so often that, in churches, I think it may almost have become a cliche - we say it, but we no longer think about what it really means.

So, what does is Jesus asking of us?  "Love God with all your heart" is an emotional concept - God is more important to you than anything else.  "Soul" in this context means "life," to literally give up your life to whatever it is that God asks you to do.  "Strength" implies the things that you have; not only physical strength, but our money, our time, our skills, and any other thing - all that we possess is given up to God.  Finally, "mind" refers to our intellect, our thoughts, and what we learn, say, and create.  

That's a lot to consider, the four different aspects of our being.  I think, though, that we can just as easily sum it up by saying, "all that we are."  Everything about our lives is to be dedicated to God at all times.  There is no time when that is not to be the case.  Of course, it is easy to write and say it (hence this verse becoming a cliche), but its practice is a lifetime of effort, thought, self-evaluation, and action.  I have often said that Christianity is "the thinking man's religion."  To put this commandment into effect, we have to truly think and ponder on what it means, and how it will - and must - affect our lives.  Fortunately, God gives us the strength and wisdom (through the Spirit) to put that in effect.  And that is a very good thing!

Love,

Dad

Romans 1:20

Sons;

Today's Bible verse is one I rather like: Romans 1:20 - "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse."  A bit wordy, perhaps, but then that's Paul.

To understand this, we need to first think about Paul specifically.  Peter and the other original disciples are mostly "working class" guys - fishermen and so on.  They're going to have some education, enough to read the scriptures, but not much else: they were seen as "uneducated."  So, if they have the equivalent of, say, an 8th grade education, Paul is a Ph.D.  He's been trained to be a rabbi, by some of the best rabbis alive at the time.  He is smart; as a Roman citizen he is probably literate in Greek philosophy and maybe even Roman history.  Obviously he knows the scripture backwards and forwards.  

Romans is, more so than his other letters, a deliberate statement of Christian theology.  This, he says, is what it means to be a Christian.  In starting out, he has to explain why one would need to be a Christian in the first place: the idea that we are unsaved, and that only by Christ can we become saved.  This is where Romans 1:20 comes in.

In this verse, Paul is saying that no one has an excuse not to realize that there is a God, and act accordingly.  Simply looking at nature ("what has been made") is enough to illustrate that.  Only God can create such a world.  And since you have nature in front of you, you don't have any way to say there is no God.  If you do, Paul says, you are deliberately denying it.  

This goes in with my own personal beliefs.  I am, in today's parlance, a believer in "intelligent design."  I recognize that evolution as a concept exists and has operated, but I believe that it was never random, but guided by God's active influence.  Why do it that way?  Who knows?  But that's the way God created the world.  However, I refuse to accept as logical the idea that all that we are, that all this magnificent diversity of the world, could ever be just the result of random chance.  Even our very concepts of biology seem to refute that idea - if you look at evolution authorities, at some point they will have to say the word, "somehow...."  The one thing they don't want to do is admit that that "somehow" is God.

What does that mean to us?  Well, for one, it gives us a way of understanding God's world better.  And, I think it gives us a new way to appreciate God (one your mother can certainly speak to us about), by looking at nature, at the trees, bugs, fish, whatever else, and thinking about how God created such a perfect world.  It's something to keep in mind, because in creation, God is all around us.  

Love,

Dad

Proverbs 21:7

Sons;

Years ago, I read how in the "old days," people used to say that the verse in Proverbs 21 that corresponds with a man's birthday is somehow significant to that individual (Proverbs 31 is the equivalent for women).  I don't really think that's true, but since it is indeed Josh's birthday, let's look at Proverbs 21:7 - "The violence of the wicked will drag them away, because they refuse to act with justice."

Like a lot of the proverbs, this is a "cautionary" one - here's what happens to bad people, so don't be that way!  It's also a proverb that speaks to God's justice.  Because bad people refuse to be righteous (to do the right thing even when they don't want to), and because they are such bad people, they will eventually be caught in and destroyed by the results of their own evil.  Obviously, this isn't something we'd want to have happen to us.  Also, it shows that God will allow the evil people of the world to flounder and sink on their own, whereas we can count on God to take care of us.  

Of course, this doesn't have to be about Hitler or some such person; there are "wicked" people around us all the time.  If we look, we can see how they are caught in the results of their own lies, arrogance, lack of concern, and such other things.  These are the people that in the end are hurt, bitter, and alone.  We do need to remember, however, that even at that point, they can still accept God's salvation, so we should never stop praying for them or even reaching out to them (as we can).  

So, Josh (and all of us), make sure you act with justice!

Love,

Dad

1 Peter 5:6

Sons;

Today's verse in class was 1 Peter 5:6 - "Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time."  Peter knows a little bit about both, I'd think, having gone from the humble to the exalted and back again in his lifes.  Here we have a statement that can teach us two different things, depending on which level we look at it.

One way is to look at this at the "eternal perspective."  In this, we humble ourselves to serve God and acknowledge Him as our master (itself a difficult concept for those in American culture).  As a result, in eternity we will be exalted in Heaven, the "proper time."  Peter's point is, don't get too caught up in the praises of the world, don't make such an effort to be seen as important, because this life have nowhere near the importance of our life to come.

Another way to view this verse is from a much more "this world" perspective.  It's the same sort of idea, but with a different vision of time.  Here have an admonition not to be arrogant in this world, not to be prideful.  It's okay to be truthful about one's abilities, of course, but not at the expense of others.  Instead, we should be humble (Moses, for instance, is described by a word that can be translated as "humble," and look at all he did), and let God have the roll of "exalting" us, giving us honor and glory in this world.  After all, all that we have is from Him, all that we are is because of Him, and so He should get our glory, not us giving glory to ourselves - we don't have all that much to do with it.  

Jesus cautions us about this in Luke 15:7-11 - "And He began speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them, “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place. But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you.  For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." 

Let honor and praise come to us - we do not need to seek it, because God will take care of that for us (and it will come when the time is right).  

Love,

Dad

Proverbs 16:28

Sons;

One of the verses I use in class is one that we often see and hear repeated: Proverbs 16:28 - "A perverse man spreads strife, and a slanderer separates intimate friends."  At first, this seems both self-evident, and really not relevant to us - I don't think that any of us could be described as a "perverse man" or "slanderer."  Solomon, however, is giving us two points that are worth considering.

The first is this: stay away from people like this!  In school, in the workplace, and (unfortunately) even in the church, there will be people who like nothing better than to spread gossip, including things they know to be lies, and often with the goal of causing others pain.  That seems almost inconceivable to us, to think of deliberately hurting someone, but there are those who will easily do so to fulfill some perceived psychological need.  We have to be aware of these people, and do our best to avoid them.  It's not to difficult to find out who these people are: the two-faced who say one thing to a person and a second about that person, the chronic complainers and arguers, those who enjoy pointing out the flaws and imperfections in others.  There is nothing positive in that type of conversation.  And, it can indeed ruin relationships.  That's why we have to be on guard, and shore up relationships before someone like this comes along, so that you be able to withstand whatever they say.  Good (based on Christian love and concern), solid (in which time has been invested) relationships with family and friends is the best defense against such things.

I think, also, that Solomon is making another warning to us, to not be that perverse person.  We can unwittingly say things that serve the same purpose of harming others, whether by accident or by some deeper intent.  That's why we need to be slow to speak, thinking about what we say before we say it - is what we are about to say edifying, helping someone, encouraging them rather than hurting them?  If so, say it; if not, keep your mouth shut!

These are things that we will work on all our lives (I know that I still am!), but the more we watch who we are around, work to build good relations, and keep an eye on what we're about to say, the more a habit it becomes.  The more a habit it becomes, the more we will be a joy to those around us, and that's always a good thing!

Love,

Dad

Psalm 71:8

Sons;

A verse worth considering, when we think about "how to be," is Psalm 71:8 - "My mouth is filled with Your praise and with Your glory all day long."  At first it seems to be hyperbole, and I think that we should be willing to give David a little poetic license.  This verse always reminds me of 1 Thessalonians 5:17 - "pray without ceasing."  Paul and David look like they are on the same page (and of course, Paul would have been familiar with Psalm 71).  

But, they have to be kidding, right?  After all, one cannot literally pray without ceasing, or say "Praise God" and nothing else all day.  Our minds cannot do that: attention has to be given to more mundane things like work and school, driving and writing, and all the other little things we do.  So, what's the point of saying something that can't be done?  Or, are we perhaps misreading?

David and Paul are, I believe, talking more about our attitude than any specific action. Do we have a "state of mind" that is one of praising God, so that the words we say and the actions we do are always carried out in ways that praise Him?  Do we continually have a "state of mind" of prayer, so that we aware of God's presence and engage in communication with Him?  We should try to live so that praise and prayer are always only a thought away from becoming the very real words we think and speak.  In that way, we are living out the ideas of these two writers.

To what end?  It makes us better - we become closer to God because we think about Him as being part of all that we do, and thus we become kinder to others and are blessed by Him.  It makes others better - our lives become a statement of faith that others can see and emulate.  It makes the world better - by doing God's will (the result of such praise and prayer), we further His objectives in the world.  So, three very good reasons to fill our mouths, and minds, with praising and thanking God!  

As leaders, we need to cultivate these states of mind, because it is our job to be the example to those who look up to us. 

Love,

Dad  

Proverbs 21:2

Sons;

This verse is an important one, as we consider our lives and the things we choose to do (or not do): Proverbs 21:2 - "Every man's way is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts."  Solomon is someone who can very much attest to this idea; even being the wisest person ever, he still managed to let himself do all sorts of things he shouldn't (i.e., marrying 300 wives and 700 concubines).   We often do the same thing - as humans, we can convince ourselves of anything, that anything we decide to do is okay.  We justify; we rationalize; we make excuses.  We are lying to ourselves, and then willingly believing that lie.  And of course, as we know, if a lie is repeated often enough, even the teller begins to believe it's true.

God, however, can't be fooled, which is Solomon's point.  He sees through all the justifications and rationalizations as if they weren't there, seeing straight into our hearts (our emotionally-based motives).  He knows when we are doing something that is truly righteous, or something that isn't.  And His judgement on these things is the only judgement that truly matters.

But of what value is that to us?  If we lie to ourselves, and God sees through that, how does that help us?  Because of the power of the Holy Spirit, who convicts us when we do wrong.  God will discipline us when we do wrong (just like a good parent should), but I believe He gives us a warning, the Holy Spirit telling us in our mind, "This isn't right, I shouldn't do this."  And the more we listen to the Holy Spirit, the easier it will be to pick out His voice, and finally grow to the point that we are wise enough to see without prompting when we're about to make a mistake

There is one other thing to warn you about, and I do this most strongly.  It is very easy to become numb to the Holy Spirit - to ignore His prompting and convicting to the point that, as we do habitual sins, we don't even hear the Spirit's voice anymore.  We have put on spiritual earphones, and can't hear the truth.  Make a habit of evaluating your life and actions, to see if there is a place you have become deaf, and be very honest with yourself (you might as well, God isn't going to be fooled anyway).  The Holy Spirit will help you do this, and so you can know where you need to be making better choices and decisions.  This is something we all need to work on, myself included.  If we can do this, however, tell ourselves the truth as God sees it, then we'll save ourselves a lot of trouble!

Love,

Dad

James 4:2-3

Sons;

The verse from today's class is one that has a lot of interesting points: James 4:2-3 - "You want something but don't get it.  You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want.  You quarrel and fight.  You do not have, because you do not ask God.  When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may pend what you get on your pleasures."

James is the son on Mary and Joseph, and thus a "half-brother" of Jesus, so he's got some credibility in what he's talking about.  And what he says here, first, is this - we sin, because we want something we don't have.  And it can be anything, from a piece of candy to peace of mind.  We want something, and we cannot figure out how to get it.  So, what do we do?  We begin striving, and sinning, to get it.  It leads to fighting, coveting the blessings some one else has, and leads us to kill - maybe not other people (though that happens), but we kill friendships, we kill opportunities, we kill blessings we already have.  And why?  Because we don't ask.

James is smart enough, however, to know that some will say, "But I did ask God for this, and didn't get it!"  Yes, James say, that's right, you didn't, because you were asking for something that was not good for you, or at best were asking for something with the intent of using it for the wrong reasons.  The example I used in class this morning was this:  If you live in a dorm, and ask God for a pony, He's not going to give you one.  

Asking for something from God thus is based on two points - is it something I truly need (as opposed to merely want), and/or is it good for me (and will be used righteously)?  That's why it is important to be "in tune" with God, because then you can better know how to answer these two questions.  

Asking for something from God also requires faith.  We have to be okay with God not answering our prayers in the time and way we want.  We are, as a species, too impatient, too controlling, too anxious to see things happen in our limited wisdom.  God takes a much bigger view, and has the wisdom, the patience, and the control to do things right.  So, as we ask, we must be patient and wait on God's time - and God is never early, and is never too late.  

As Christian men and leaders, it will be important that we have this closeness with God, and this faith, so that we can ask for what is right for us (and for our families).  This is, like all other things, something that we must practice at, so when it is needed we will have mastered the skill.

Love,

Dad

1 John 4:19

Sons;

An important concept in our Christian life can be see by looking at 1 John 4:19 - "We love, because He first loved us."  This is a rather simple statement, we might think, but it does deserve some thought.  John is putting our ability to love others (to put others' needs before ourselves, to value them and sacrifice for them) squarely on the shoulders of Jesus' death on the cross.  That is the ultimate expression of love.  Think about it: Jesus put others - God's command to Him, and our need for salvation - above His own physical comfort, indeed His own life.  In accepting that (confessing it), we gain access to God's love via the Holy Spirit.  With me so far?

Only if we have the Holy Spirit in our lives can we truly duplicate this kind of love, but it is this kind of love that we must show to the world.  It is especially crucial when we think about our roles as men - leaders, husbands, fathers.  How can we love our families sacrificially if we don't have the Spirit to give us the power to do so?  That's John's point - we can't.  We otherwise would remain greedy, shallow, and in all ways caught in the "sin" that is natural to us.

Now, as fellow Christians, you already have access to the ability to love like Jesus.  However, ability and practice are two totally different things.  I have the ability to play the piano, and in fact quite well.  However, I have not put this into practice in years, and so if I sat down at a piano today I would be able to only do very basic things.  Love is the same way - we have to practice at it; we can't expect it to suddenly and totally manifest itself full-grown.  

At the same time, you need to be aware of this concept when the time comes for you to consider some woman as being your wife. You can love her as Jesus loves the church (see Paul for more details) because you are a Christian.  If she is not, how can she love you the same way in return?  This is the Bible's concept of "unequally yoked" put into action, and a reminder - your relationships, especially very personal ones - should be with Christians.

Practice love, sons, in all that you do, with everyone you see.  It makes you obedient to God, it makes you righteous, and it will make you happy and satisfied in life.

Love,

Dad  

I John 4:13-15

Sons;

One of the versus I often use is this one, I John 4:13-15 - "By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has give us of His spirit.  We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the World.  Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God."  John, also the writer of the Gospel of John and Revelations, is doing something he often does - making a very simple restatement of salvation.  When we have the Holy Spirit in our lives, that is the sign to us that we do indeed "abide" - live with - God.  This, as James tells us in his book, will be seen in what we do and how we act.

John also makes a more subtle point.  He has "been there and done that" with Jesus, from almost the very beginning of Jesus' ministry.  So, when he says he can testify that Jesus is Savior, he knows what he's talking about.  Then comes the subtlety: "Whoever confesses that Jesus is...."  We often seem to think that that means a knowledge of Jesus' position, but there's much more to it than that.

In the first chapter of Mark, Jesus is in Capernaum teaching, and a possessed man comes up to him and says (no doubt freaking out the audience), "What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth?  Have You come to destroy us?  I know who You are, the Holy One of God!" Jesus then proceeds to tell the demon to (essentially) shut up and get out. Point - even the demons know who Jesus is, but they don't confess it.  That is the difference - we not only have the knowledge of Jesus, but we accept His sacrifice and salvation; so, we can confess it both in word and in deed.  

This serves as a reminder of what we're up to when we say we're Christians - it's more than knowledge, it's an belief of the heart with tremendous implications and a lifetime of applications.  As men, we have to have that belief and application if we are going to be leaders.

Love,

Dad

Matthew 7:24-25

Sons;

As you may know, before I start my classes I always have a Bible verse that I read and then briefly discuss, and I thought to pass that on to you as well.  Today, one of the verses was Matthew 7:24-25 - “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.” 

It's a verse we've all seen before, and I even remember singing a song about this and its companion verses, where some doofus builds his house on the sand and it all falls apart.  Christ's point is obvious - build a life on Him, and you'll be better off.  However, there is a far more subtle point that is worth mentioning.  Jesus is pointedly telling us something about the life we have in store for us, to wit: bad things will happen to you.  And that's a given, I think (though I would hasten to add that God never gives us more than we can handle).  It can be at any time, to any degree, it's different for everyone, it may have happened, it may be in the far future, but it is there, and hiding our heads in the sand won't do anything to get ready for it.

And that's Christ's larger point, I think - we have to get ready for it!  When the rains fall and floods come, it's too late to start building.  We have to start building on "the Rock" when times are easy, by reading the Bible, prayer, and by seeking to be righteous (where being righteous is defined: "doing the right thing, even when you don't want to").  That way, when bad times come, we have a life that is built correctly, and can handle whatever comes along.  It's good for you, and it will be good for those you will be responsible for, as well.  So, I would encourage you in that, just as I encourage myself in it as well.  As with most things in the Bible, we now know what to do - now, let's go out and do it!

Love,

Dad

About This Blog

My name is Chris Breece and recently my father, Brian Miller, has taken up writing me letters about Bible passages he brings to his classes.  I think they're quite insightful and I've decided to start posting them here.  I don't think I'll tell him about it right away, so keep it a secret for me, but I wanted to keep them and share them in a convenient way.  I'll post the first few today and then continue to post them as he keeps sending them.

Without further ado, here are the letters from my father...