Title: Making Plans / Topic: Strategy

Today’s Reading: Song of Solomon 1; Song of Solomon 2; Song of Solomon 3; Song of Solomon 4; Ephesians 6

Scripture: Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

Observation: Someone is making plans for your life. The first of the Four Spiritual Laws tells us that "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." But God is not the only one who has a plan for your life. Here, Paul tells us that the devil is also making plans, "schemes," as he refers to them. I picture Satan, rubbing his hands as he considers what devilish evil to bring my way.

Application: Because of this, we need to make plans to stand and to succeed. It is most unwise to just "go with the flow". Satan is making plans, and so must we. We must plan to serve God every day. We must plan to discipline our lives to include time spent in Bible reading and study, prayer and meditation, thanksgiving and worship, fellowship and sharing, and listening to God. We must set Godly goals for every area of our lives and work toward them relentlessly. If we are advancing -- moving forward positively and continuously -- our enemy will have a very difficult time working his schemes against us. Remember, it's hard to hit a moving target. Are you a moving target? Are you moving forward daily in Jesus?

Prayer: Lord, help us to outsmart the enemy by keeping pace with the Spirit and staying strong and growing. May we exercise our faith and be on the offense so as to be a threat and not a target for our enemy. Help us to hear Your will clearly and set our goals accordingly.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Keep It Simple / Topic: Holy Living

Today’s Reading: Ecclesiastes 10; Ecclesiastes 11; Ecclesiastes 12; Psalm 94; Ephesians 5

Scripture: Ecclesiastes12:13-14
13 Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.

Observation: The Bottom Line. This is what everyone wants to know: "Tell me the bottom line." Solomon, at the end of all his musings, his rantings and ravings, his cynicism and scornfulness, breaks it down in these two verses. And here's what we need to know and to do:

#1 - Fear God
#2 - Keep His commandments

Then he gives us the "why": because God is watching and there will be a final reconciling of all accounts known as "judgment".

Application: KISS - Keep It Simple Saints! I need a serious attitude about God. He is, after all, Almighty God and I will stand before Him and give an account for my life. Therefore I need to walk in ultimate respect and reverence for Him as if He is watching at all times because He actually is!

Prayer: Lord, help me. I want to walk in the present presence with You. I want to experience the healthy fear of God continually in my life to keep me relating rightly to You and my fellow travelers on this planet. Help me to stay in tune and in touch with You continually -- and increasingly.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: The Benefits Of Deafness / Topic: Wise Living

Today's Reading: Ecclesiastes 7; Ecclesiastes 8; Ecclesiastes 9; Ephesians 4

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 7:21-22
21 Do not pay attention to every word people say,
or you may hear your servant cursing you -
22 for you know in your heart
that many times you yourself have cursed others.

Observation: What good advice! And practical! Solomon tells us to not listen too closely to everything people say. You may hear something you wish you hadn't.

Application: It is better to be in the dark about some things. I am glad that I do not know everything that my enemies say about me. I am glad that I do not know everything that my friends say about me! Why? Because we all say things about people that we would never want them to hear.

[Now if you are shocked at that admission, you may be in denial or over-righteous so you might need to heed the words of Ecclesiates7:16.]

So be careful to intentionally "not pay attention to every word people say." It is wise to let some things pass without your knowledge. And if you happen to hear another person say some uncomplimentary word about you, it may be wise to let it pass as if you had not heard it.

One more point: this is a lesson for us to watch our own words about others. So much is said that would be better left unsaid. I want to become exemplary in the way I talk about other people -- to speak (and think) the best of them as much as it is possible.

Prayer: Lord, help us to honor You with our lips. May we speak in a way that builds others up and allow nothing to escape our mouths that would bring us shame or discomfort if others were to hear. May we be used to bless others and be an example of positive expressions, uplifting words, and encouragement in all we say.
This I pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

Title: His Mouthpiece / Topic: The Church

Today’s Reading: Ecclesiastes 4; Ecclesiastes 5; Ecclesiastes 6; Psalm 18; Ephesians 3

Scripture: Ephesians 3:10-11
10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Observation: God is mysterious. Sometimes I think that we western Christians forget this truth or minimize it but there remain many mysteries related to who God is, how He operates, and why He does what He does. The word tells us that His wisdom is far above ours and that we, on our own, could never fathom His ways.

Yet in the Ephesians 3 passage above, we are told that for long ages God has maintained a secret plan ("eternal purpose") that He is now unfolding. That plan is to reveal His "manifold wisdom" to "the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms." He is wanting to lay out before the spirit world -- all the angels and principalities and powers of good and evil in the invisible realm -- all the details of the who, what, when, where, how, and why of His Kingdom. The stunning part of this is that He has chosen as His mouthpiece of this amazing revelation THE CHURCH.

Application: This is a high calling and solemn charge. Somehow, God thinks it best to use the Church as the sole revealer of God to the spirit world. What I get out of this amazing idea is that through us, God shows His true colors. His wisdom, mercy, grace, and justice are all revealed through His dealings with us.

[An example of how this works is how Solomon's wisdom was revealed to his court and his nation.]

We are blessed to be allowed in this role as it means we are now the recipients of the beauty, love, and nobleness of who God is. Let us live in appreciation with a quality of holy and respectful living and respond with praise and thanksgiving to God.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for this blessed privilege to be vehicles of declaring Your wisdom. You truly have chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. Empower me to live in a way that honors this sacred call. May Your people be cognizant of the true privilege You have granted us and may we walk accordingly.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: The Unexpected Reward / Topic: Joy

Today’s Reading: Ecclesiastes 1; Ecclesiastes 2; Ecclesiastes 3; Psalm 45; Ephesians 2

Scripture: Psalm 45:7
You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.

Observation: This is an interesting verse. The psalmist declares that the reward from God for loving righteousness and hating wickedness is to be "set... above your companions" which is accomplished "by anointing you with the oil of joy." I like that. God doesn't promise to give a person greater wealth or fame or power as a reward for a right heart. He gives us joy. And that is a wonderful gift. (Contrast this with the despair of Solomon who had everything anyone could ever want.)

Application: Seek God and walk in joy. I have made it a conscious point to smile and laugh and enjoy my life more and more. And I consciously share my happiness with others. They appreciate it. What's the use of a grumpy attitude? Lose that lousy attitude! Put a smile on your face. It's the sign of that you are a winner! And recognize that God wants to give you joy. "The joy of the Lord is my strength." Live in joy, walk in it, look for it. Seek to have the right heart before the Lord and you won't have to look far.

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You are a God who loves joy and laughter. May we experience Your power-releasing joy in our lives every day in an ever-increasing way.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Title: Look Out! / Topic: God Is Watching

Today's Reading: Proverbs 30; Proverbs 31; Psalm 33; Ephesians 1

Scripture: Psalm 33:13-15
13 From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind;
14 from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth-
15 he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.

Observation: He sees you when you're sleeping, He knows when you're awake, He knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake. No, it's not Santa Claus, it's the Lord. He is paying attention to every person. Notice the progression of His observation:
#1 He "looks down"
#2 He "sees"
#3 He "watches"
#4 He "considers"
There is a clear development of activity here. You have had experiences that mirror this: You look or take a glance. Then you see something that catches your eye. Then you watch with interest. Then you consider what you have seen. That's what God does with us. But it is an intentional and constant act. It is part of His job as God.

Application: What I thought was most interesting about this is that while God is considering (i.e. thinking about) everyone's actions, many people don't seem to consider their own actions -- they don't give thought to their ways or the outcomes or repercussions of their actions. God is looking, seeing, watching, and considering what we do. We had better do the same with our lives. We must look at what we are doing, see it clearly, watch out, and carefully consider what we do. God is watching. And so are others.

Prayer: Lord, help us to pay attention to the details of our lives. Thank You that You are watching over us and looking out for us. May we live with the awareness of Your constant presence, knowing that You desire to help us to do right, and to walk in truth, justice, mercy, and kindness.
This I pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

Title: Dan Brown's Folly / Topic: Ancient Christian Women

Today’s Reading: Proverbs 28; Proverbs 29; Psalm 60; Romans 16

[I just finished reading The DiVinci Code late last night. Many people had told me that it was a page turner, and they were right. The story was exciting and the mystery gripping. Dan Brown's writing, his imagination and creativity, was both fascinating and irritating. While most of his details were intriguing, so many were just stupid. I was impressed with his ability to make even the impossible sound plausible, and the ridiculous sound reasonable. What I grew to resent was his constant insertion of conjured feminine/fertility significance (read: "sexual") into so many common aspects of everyday life. This is agenda-based pollution of ideas and actions that injects unseemly concepts where they did not and should not exist.

I will post more about this at another time. But the scripture below has a direct and obvious relevance to the message of Brown's work of fiction.]

Scripture: Romans 16:1-7, 12-16
1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea. 2 I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me. 3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. 4 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. 5 Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. ...12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brothers with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the saints with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.

Observation: What we have in the passage above is the true story of the role of and regard for women in the Ancient Church. Listed are the names of ten women with some detail on several of them. They are:
1) Phoebe (servant (i.e. minister) of Cenchrean church, a great help to Paul and others)
2) Priscilla (along with her husband (her name is always listed first, perhaps indicating Priscilla as the stronger in the team) are Paul's fellow workers)
3) Mary (worked hard for the Corinthians)
4) Junias [Junia (feninine) in the Greek] (imprisoned with Paul, "outstanding among the apostles")
5) Tryphena (worked hard in the Lord)
6) Tryphosa (ditto)
7) Persis (worked very hard in the Lord)
8) Rufus' mother (a "mother" to Paul also)
9) Julia
10) Nereus' sister

Ancient Christianity respected women as partners in the Gospel ministry. A true understanding of Biblical Christianity has always elevated the role of women -- not as "reproductive goddesses" but as coworkers, sisters, and fellow heirs of the blessings of God in Christ Jesus. In this passage are ten women who Paul mentions by name and greets with respect. Many are said to have "worked hard in the Lord," a phrase which likely refers to ministry leadership in the church. One, Junias (or Junia as it appears in the Greek text) is an apostle like Paul, and said to be "outstanding among the apostles." The clear conveyance of all these words is respect, admiration, and appreciation for the significant contribution these women have made. There is an obvious sense of partnership between Paul and these women.

Application: Dan Brown has it all wrong. His twisted caricature of the teachings of the church is a product of a thorough misunderstanding (and perhaps even a deep resentment) of Christianity. While the history of the church has many despicable and shameful chapters, we are aware of them and the Christian Church has shunned the misguided thinking and practices of those times. (After all, The Dark Ages are so named because of the fact that in these times, people walked in darkness, departing from and acting contrary to the light of the Gospel.) But even through these times, there were those who held to the beauty of the true Gospel of God's love and grace. We in the Church can hold our heads high, not in pride but in confidence that it is because of the true testimony of the ministry of Jesus and the teachings of early church which has been preserved in the New Testament, that the noble ideas of equality, liberty, purity, honesty, and justice (and true respect for women) exist in our world today. Without the Church in the world, without the Gospel, without the New Testament, this would be a very dark world indeed.

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for the light of the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, the only hope for salvation. Thank You for imprinting Your grace and Your truth within Your Word and within Your Church. I pray that the Church would be aware of Her mission to clearly portray Your truth as we live our lives before the world. Lord, I ask that You would not allow confusion to be infused into our culture as a result of the works of evil imaginations of creative minds, but that Your truth would prevail.

SO BRIGHT THE TRUTH OF GOD
May Your truth ever shine.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.