Full Commitment

Jehoshaphat was a good king, following the ways of his father, Asa. He did what was pleasing in the LORD’s sight. During his reign, however, he failed to remove all the pagan shrines, and the people never fully committed themselves to follow the God of their ancestors. [2 Chronicles 20.32-33] 

Even with the unmistakable, undeniable, miraculous victory Judah, under the leadership of Jehoshaphat, experienced against the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites (see 2 Chronicles 20.1-30 and The Battle Is God's), the people never fully committed themselves to follow the God of their ancestors.

We should understand the huge indictment this statement makes to the powerless "Church" today:

If Judah experienced the power of God like they did, and they were still not fully committed to God, how much less committed to God then are those who do not experience His power at all?

It should be understood that the "power of God" means a miracle so overwhelmingly, unmistakably, and undeniably attributable as the supernatural work of God and God ALONE that no one would even attempt to say, "That could have just happened randomly..."

In today's One Year Chronological Bible reading, there is further evidence of this:

One day Israel’s new king, Ahaziah, fell through the latticework of an upper room at his palace in Samaria and was seriously injured. So he sent messengers to the temple of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether he would recover. But the angel of the LORD told Elijah, who was from Tishbe, “Go and confront the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is there no God in Israel? Why are you going to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, to ask whether the king will recover? Now, therefore, this is what the LORD says: You will never leave the bed you are lying on; you will surely die.’” So Elijah went to deliver the message. [2 Kings 1.2-4]

The point of the whole Bible (the passages above included) is to show us that God demands full commitment to Him ALONE. In stark contrast to the modern Church's claim that God uses man's "way of life" costly industries of debt, insurance, medicine and technology, the Bible, when read for what it actually says, overwhelmingly declares otherwise. 

Furthermore, and unironically, "New Testament" Jesus demanded no less full commitment while demonstrating limitless, mountain-moving faith as the way of God (that pleases Him):

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)] 

The Bible is crystal clear on this topic. In contrast, religion, sects, denominations, and the powerless "Church" they all represent, have blinded people with Biblically baseless arguments that "bad things can happen to good people" making it unremarkable that God's power does not manifest among "His people." 

All the while, the "Church" today is immersed in gross idolatry trusting any and everything but God. And, even if they do acknowledge God, they do so claiming their idols ("way of life" costly industries of man's making) are "God's way" to meet their needs. This is NOT the spotless bride Jesus will be returning for! 

The "Church" described above is not only a whore, but a whore who pays its adulterous lovers (idols)!

So, what do we do? We, as individuals, and as the Church, need to become fully committed to God ALONE.

Our full commitment starts with the repentance appropriate for an adulterous, whorish bride understanding that repentance is not an emotion, but an action - turning away from adulterous lover idols and turning to God ALONE (following Jesus). We make a daily practice of intentionally recognizing, giving up, and ridding ourselves of any and everything that even hints of "man's way" (our way). We fearlessly "take up our cross" acknowledging that our lives are NOT ours to preserve in any way, but God's. And therein, we set about to promote the miraculous distinction of the Kingdom of God and the Good News that Jesus makes that distinction (grace) possible in exchange for the undivided devotion of faith - full commitment.

For the record, I am not the first to acknowledge the difficulty of full commitment but I am merely confirming what has already been said:

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. [Matthew 7.13-14]

Father, open our eyes first to "see" that we have in fact rendered ourselves an adulterous, whorish bride through our trust in idols and, in that condition, are not fully committed to You. May Your Word strike a chord in our hearts calling us to full commitment. So be it.

The Battle Is God's

He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. [2 Chronicles 20.15] 

In every circumstance of life, the battle is not ours, but God's.

     In every circumstance of life, the battle is not ours, but God's.

          In every circumstance of life, the battle is not ours, but God's.

Until God's people really believe the statement above, idolatry will only continue to grow like a cancerous disease among them manifesting in all manner of sin. They will continue to make industrious provisions for themselves to the point that God is merely thrown leftover "religious kudos" after the battle. Oh wait... that it exactly what is happening right now!

Man's idols, in four broad categories: debt, insurance, medicine and technology (represented by a plethora of names), prove increasingly more so every day that man (God's people in particular) does not believe the battle is God's and not theirs. In logical human reasoning, it is often said, "God doesn't expect us to sit around and do nothing!" But that is not what Jehoshaphat's story teaches us...

God DOES expect us to do something! But it is not to fight the battle. It is to revere Him ALONE as God and watch Him ALONE handle the circumstances that oppose us. We might even find ourselves, like Judah, singing a simple little chorus: “Give thanks to the LORD; his faithful love endures forever!” because we believe that the words of that chorus actually mean "the battle is God's ALONE.

Who today is foolish enough to actually believe that the battle is not ours, but God's?

Whoever it is, one man or a group of men, will change the course of modern history. 

But, until then, everything man trusts in instead of God (or even in addition to God) will dominate man in every facet of life (money, protection, health and conveniences). "Godly" men will continue to religiously say God fights their battles, but in reality, continue to fight them for themselves only giving God mention like those credits that scroll after a movie - credits that no one pays attention to. Ironically enough, the "star" of the show is named before the movie even plays out - kind of like: “Give thanks to the LORD; his faithful love endures forever!”

Jehoshaphat's story is consistent with every demand from cover to cover in the Bible that men should trust God ALONE. Religion, intentionally or unintentionally, shamelessly expends inordinate effort to explain that the Bible does not mean what it says, or that it is somehow acceptable that man does not trust God ALONE because of "grace."

God was serious when He gave the Ten Commandments, and the priority of the first three of those Commandments reveals God's attitude about what we trust in:

“I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. “You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. [Exodus 20.2-7]

Equally so, and in that same Spirit, Jesus was serious when He gave His call:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)] 

If we can or will see it, Jesus' Words make clear that the battle of life (every single circumstance we face) is not ours, but God's. 

Again, the man or group of men who actually believe God's Word means what it says will make a mark on modern human history: the world will reject and laugh at them and religious people will do worse... just like they did to Jesus, our example. In this, prophecy will be fulfilled that there will be both a "revival" AND that there will be a "great falling away" before Jesus returns. Until then, it is likely that humanity, including the religious "Church," will continue to grovel along in its ever-deteriorating idolatry and the circumstances it feigns to remedy, ignorant of God's Word and therefore none the wiser.

In every circumstance of life, the battle is not ours, but God's. This is what the Bible teaches and it is how believers in Jesus are to live.

Father, the call of Your Word for men to trust You and You ALONE, forsaking all idols, is becoming more intense to me by the day. I pray my words only reflect Yours bringing this same intensity to all who read them. May we mark history intentionally forsaking fear and its discouragement as we live what we believe - that the battle is not ours, but Yours. So be it.

Trusting God ALONE (Or Not)

Jehoshaphat enjoyed great riches and high esteem, and he made an alliance with Ahab of Israel by having his son marry Ahab’s daughter. A few years later he went to Samaria to visit Ahab, who prepared a great banquet for him and his officials. They butchered great numbers of sheep, goats, and cattle for the feast. Then Ahab enticed Jehoshaphat to join forces with him to recover Ramoth-gilead. [2 Chronicles 18.1-2] 

This passage should not be overlooked for the idolatry found in it. We have two different kings with whom God had separate dealings with. And, as always with God, He demands singular undivided trust in Him ALONE. 

Here in this passage, both kings are resorting to an alliance that violates their trust in God ALONE. As this instance will play out, the result of this alliance will cost Ahab his life and nearly cost Jehoshaphat his.

Such is the costly price of idolatry - trusting anything in addition to, or besides God ALONE.

The solution is simple from both an Old Testament perspective and a New Testament perspective (because God's warning against idols is not just limited to the Old Testament):

“O Israel, stay away from idols! I am the one who answers your prayers and cares for you. I am like a tree that is always green; all your fruit comes from me.” [Hosea 14.8]

Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. [1 John 5.21]

Jesus Christ, present at the Creation, prophesied of throughout the Old Testament, and present again in the New Testament was no less exclusive in His demand for undivided allegiance:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

Question: What alliances in our lives today render us idolaters? Answer: Every alliance that offers to do for us what God said He Himself would do for us. These idols can be easily identified by the existence of two primary but telling factors: "agreements" (alliances and contracts: "marriages" of what is Godly and what is not) and the exchange of value (most commonly, money). These two factors are just as present in man's industries of debt, insurance, medicine and technology today as they were in nearly every instance of idolatry in the Bible.

Here is where we really need to pay attention: Ahab was on a God-ordained mission to destroy Ben-hadad. Instead of trusting God ALONE however, Ahab solicited Jehoshaphat as an ally. It was a reasonable move, but not a "God" move. The overwhelming majority of religious leaders (prophets of the day) all joined in Ahab's fallacy:

So the king of Israel summoned the prophets, 400 of them, and asked them, “Should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I hold back?” They all replied, “Yes, go right ahead! God will give the king victory.” [2 Chronicles 18.5]

Notice that all the prophets agreed with Ahab that God would give victory albeit using Ahab's alliance with Jehoshaphat. NOTE: THEY DID NOT EXCLUDE "GOD" but were all convinced that the alliance with Jehoshaphat would insure a handy victory - they all agreed that would be "God's way."

But a true prophet of God, Micaiah, disagreed. While the story is actually about Ahab and Jehoshaphat, there is also the undeniable story about Micaiah standing alone in opposition to the religious consensus (of the 400 prophets). 

Why would Micaiah prophesy Ahab's doom when, as a true prophet, he would have known that Ahab was ordained to destroy Ben-hadad (see 1 Kings 20.28)? The answer is simple: Ahab had forsaken trusting in God ALONE and had idolatrously solicited the help of Jehoshaphat!

God is not calling us to join in idolatrous agreement with religion that allows and in most cases even endorses man's alliances with debt, insurance, medicine and technology. God is calling us to give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Jesus ONLY. We are to forsake every way of, and alliance with, the world and instead rely entirely upon God as did Jesus, pulling a coin from a fish's mouth if necessary, walking through danger as if it weren't there, living in miraculous healing, and denying "self" any control over us. The cross on our shoulder testifies that death itself has no influence over us and certainly invokes no fear. This resolve is what Micaiah's refusal to "go with the crowd" screams at us today. Unfortunately, Micaiah's stance is more resolve than most are willing to make. 

What's worse is that mainstream religion has twisted the Scriptures to deceive the masses that their faith-lessness in not following Jesus ONLY but soliciting outside help (their idolatry) is forgiven by God's grace. This supposed condition of "grace" upon "idolatry" is an impossible arrangement - a ludicrous presumption - because idolatry is not faith in God ALONE.

So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. [Romans 4.16]

We are given Ahab's story for a reason. We are given Micaiah's story for a reason. We are given the entire Bible for a REASON!

Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. [1 John 5.21]

In another translation... 

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. [1 John 5.21 NKJV] 

A person cannot trust God - they cannot trust Jesus - and hold to the ways (alliances/idols) of the world. 

Father, help us to give up our own way (with all the practical reasoning behind it), take up our cross (with a resolve that not even death can deter), and follow Jesus. So be it.

I Think I Am Hobbled...

Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, “How much longer will you waver, hobbling between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him! But if Baal is God, then follow him!” But the people were completely silent. [1 Kings 18.21] 

I think I am hobbled...

Hobbled About What You Believe?

Jesus In Elijah's Story

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

Father, as I look back over what I believe You spoke to me from Your Word in 1 Kings 18 over the previous two years, I find myself unmistakably "hobbled." Help me to take definitive steps to prove my undivided faith in You ALONE. So be it.

The Popular Error Of Faith

At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa and told him, “Because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in the LORD your God, you missed your chance to destroy the army of the king of Aram. Don’t you remember what happened to the Ethiopians and Libyans and their vast army, with all of their chariots and charioteers? At that time you relied on the LORD, and he handed them over to you. The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war.” [2 Chronicles 16.7-9] 

What was Hanani talking about?

In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, King Baasha of Israel invaded Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from entering or leaving King Asa’s territory in Judah. Asa responded by removing the silver and gold from the treasuries of the Temple of the LORD and the royal palace. He sent it to King Ben-hadad of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus, along with this message: “Let there be a treaty between you and me like the one between your father and my father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel so that he will leave me alone.” [2 Chronicles 16.1-3]

Asa resorted to idolatry - trusting something other than God. Hanani's message from God made crystal clear the fact that God desires and demands undiluted, unadulterated faith:

The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war.” [2 Chronicles 16.9] 

We should conclude then that God withholds His strength from those who, like Asa, trust something in addition to or in lieu of God ALONE. 

If we employ the popular error of modern faith, it might be argued that Ben-hadad's help was "God's way" of helping Judah. However, the Scriptures make no such assertion, but in fact, contradict this modern deception entirely.

The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war.” [2 Chronicles 16.9] 

How does this relate to modern "believers in God" who say God uses debt, insurance, medicine and technology to meet the needs of His people? 

Debt, insurance, medicine and technology are no more "God's way" than Asa's alliance with Ben-hadad was "God's way." Indeed, these industries are the flagship categories of a plethora of named idols in our day.

Asa's dilution of faith in God ALONE ultimately led to his painful demise:

In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease. Yet even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the LORD’s help but turned only to his physicians. So he died in the forty-first year of his reign. [2 Chronicles 16.12-13]

And, in gross and conveniently willful ignorance of God's Word, the Church today is essentially void of God's distinct miraculous power. Oh sure, debt, insurance, medicine and technology yield "relief" to God's people like Ben-hadad brought relief to Asa and Judah, but that "relief" was and is temporary (not to mention costly). No matter how vehemently one might argue that God uses debt, insurance, medicine and technology (solutions of man), God's Word screams in stark disagreement:

The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. What a fool you have been! From now on you will be at war.” [2 Chronicles 16.9] 

Speaking of "fully committed," Jesus Christ, Who taught, demonstrated, and demanded distinct miraculous power in the obedience of faith, only confirmed 2 Chronicles 16.9:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

And still, "Christian" people, in gross and conveniently willful ignorance of the Bible, will argue for their idols - the way of man - their own way... taking God's name in vain with every defense of man's named idols as being "God's way" to meet man's needs. It is indeed the popular error of faith.

Father, may error of faith so popular today be exposed. May the scales be removed from "believers'" eyes as they forsake popular opinion and instead abide by the truth of Your Word. So be it.

Where Are The "Men of God"?

Afterward the prophet said to his sons, “When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried. Lay my bones beside his bones. For the message the LORD told him to proclaim against the altar in Bethel and against the pagan shrines in the towns of Samaria will certainly come true.” [1 Kings 13.31-32] 

The story behind this passage is perhaps one of the most serious indictments upon the Church today. As should be expected however, few will see it...

Here is how it all started:

At the LORD’s command, a man of God from Judah went to Bethel, arriving there just as Jeroboam was approaching the altar to burn incense. Then at the LORD’s command, he shouted, “O altar, altar! This is what the LORD says: A child named Josiah will be born into the dynasty of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests from the pagan shrines who come here to burn incense, and human bones will be burned on you.” That same day the man of God gave a sign to prove his message. He said, “The LORD has promised to give this sign: This altar will split apart, and its ashes will be poured out on the ground.” [1 Kings 13.1-3]

For such a profound story, the fact that the "man of God from Judah" remained unnamed is significant. The fact that the man of God was not mentioned by name should tell us that his actions were not confined to him, but should be seen as the generic actions of any true "man of God."

It is also significant that the true "man of God" unapologetically decried idolatry and that that idolatry was deeply involved with the "government." For that reason, the man of God was to have nothing to do with the government and the idolatry it was involved in.

When King Jeroboam heard the man of God speaking against the altar at Bethel, he pointed at him and shouted, “Seize that man!” But instantly the king’s hand became paralyzed in that position, and he couldn’t pull it back. At the same time a wide crack appeared in the altar, and the ashes poured out, just as the man of God had predicted in his message from the LORD. [1 Kings 13.4-5]

Even though the government opposed the man of God, it could not prevent idolatry from being exposed for what it was as the crack appeared in the altar and ashes poured out. Against the truth spoken by the man of God, the government also suffered because its idolatry could not defend it.

At this point, the government sought and received help from the man of God.

The king cried out to the man of God, “Please ask the LORD your God to restore my hand again!” So the man of God prayed to the LORD, and the king’s hand was restored and he could move it again. [1 Kings 13.6]

Then, the government unsuccessfully attempted to befriend the man of God.

Then the king said to the man of God, “Come to the palace with me and have something to eat, and I will give you a gift.” But the man of God said to the king, “Even if you gave me half of everything you own, I would not go with you. I would not eat or drink anything in this place. For the LORD gave me this command: ‘You must not eat or drink anything while you are there, and do not return to Judah by the same way you came.’” So he left Bethel and went home another way. [1 Kings 13.7-10]

While everything up to this point can easily be imagined relative to idolatry in current times, it is what happens next that is most telling:

As it happened, there was an old prophet living in Bethel, and his sons came home and told him what the man of God had done in Bethel that day. They also told their father what the man had said to the king. The old prophet asked them, “Which way did he go?” So they showed their father which road the man of God had taken. “Quick, saddle the donkey,” the old man said. So they saddled the donkey for him, and he mounted it. Then he rode after the man of God and found him sitting under a great tree. The old prophet asked him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” “Yes, I am,” he replied. Then he said to the man of God, “Come home with me and eat some food.” “No, I cannot,” he replied. “I am not allowed to eat or drink anything here in this place. For the LORD gave me this command: ‘You must not eat or drink anything while you are there, and do not return to Judah by the same way you came.’” But the old prophet answered, “I am a prophet, too, just as you are. And an angel gave me this command from the LORD: ‘Bring him home with you so he can have something to eat and drink.’” But the old man was lying to him. So they went back together, and the man of God ate and drank at the prophet’s home. [1 Kings 13.11-19] 

The old prophet in Bethel, as it turns out, was not a true man of God, but a liar. He was a poser. He was, in fact, an idolater himself because in all his years' exposure to idolatry (without decrying it) he had become spiritually blind to his own digression into it himself. But he still wanted to befriend and be associated with the true man of God.

As the story turns out, the true man of God fell victim to one small lie himself. As a consequence, he died and his message was ultimately ineffective.

Then while they were sitting at the table, a command from the LORD came to the old prophet. He cried out to the man of God from Judah, “This is what the LORD says: You have defied the word of the LORD and have disobeyed the command the LORD your God gave you. You came back to this place and ate and drank where he told you not to eat or drink. Because of this, your body will not be buried in the grave of your ancestors.” After the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the old prophet saddled his own donkey for him, and the man of God started off again. But as he was traveling along, a lion came out and killed him. His body lay there on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it. People who passed by saw the body lying in the road and the lion standing beside it, and they went and reported it in Bethel, where the old prophet lived. When the prophet heard the report, he said, “It is the man of God who disobeyed the LORD’s command. The LORD has fulfilled his word by causing the lion to attack and kill him.” Then the prophet said to his sons, “Saddle a donkey for me.” So they saddled a donkey, and he went out and found the body lying in the road. The donkey and lion were still standing there beside it, for the lion had not eaten the body nor attacked the donkey. So the prophet laid the body of the man of God on the donkey and took it back to the town to mourn over him and bury him. He laid the body in his own grave, crying out in grief, “Oh, my brother!” Afterward the prophet said to his sons, “When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried. Lay my bones beside his bones. For the message the LORD told him to proclaim against the altar in Bethel and against the pagan shrines in the towns of Samaria will certainly come true.” But even after this, Jeroboam did not turn from his evil ways. He continued to choose priests from the common people. He appointed anyone who wanted to become a priest for the pagan shrines. This became a great sin and resulted in the utter destruction of Jeroboam’s dynasty from the face of the earth. [1 Kings 13.20-34]

Here's the point (again, if we can see it): King Jeroboam represents the government whose political influence, intentionally void of the fear of the LORD, opposes God and His ways fully embracing idolatry. Such is the condition of most world governments today. They unashamedly embrace man's idols of debt, insurance, medicine and technology. When a man of God comes along (his name does not matter) decrying the nation's gross immersion in idolatry, the government defends its idolatry. However, the government is powerless against the judgment of God against idolatry and must eventually concede its need for help from the man of God (when disaster strikes they promote, "everyone pray!").

Furthermore, the old prophet represents the Church in its present condition of having become blind to its own headlong participation with idols. The Church wants to be "associated" with the power of God, but instead plays the role of diluting God's message against idolatry (just a little lie) rendering the message of the man of God ineffective. Even still, the Church wants to remain associated with the power of the man of God whose message the Church rendered ineffective. All the while, idolatry goes on unchecked. The Church "bows" to the idols of debt, insurance, medicine and technology as much or more than the world.

Call me whatever, but I want to be a true "man of God" in this age. I want to be keenly aware of the little lie that would draw me into fellowship with idolaters and their idolatry. If this story in 1 Kings 13 means anything, it means that a true man of God can expect neither government nor the Church to accept his message decrying idolatry. A true man of God can expect push-back even to the point of the idolatrous Church inserting just a little lie that fellowship with anything associated with idolatry is okay.

Father, may there be true "men of God" in this age who are not afraid to decry the idolatry that is so prevalent among us in debt, insurance, medicine and technology. May these true "men of God" not fall victim to the lies (found most often in the fellowship of religious people) that render the message against idolatry ineffective. May the eyes of the "old prophet" the Church be opened to the truth of its idolatry. So be it.

It's That Simple

But, my child, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out. [Ecclesiastes 12.12] 

With all the libraries of books written about the Bible and the academia surrounding those books, doesn't it make sense that by now as history goes "people of the Bible" today should be highly unified?

But, they are not. The "Church" is highly divided. Opposing denominations and doctrines abound. Proponents of various denominations or sects most often isolate themselves only to their own views on the Bible and Christianity. Every denomination or sect vehemently defends its particular "take" on the Bible while ultimately decrying all others. Even those opposed to "denomination" have effectively become a denomination unto themselves. What a mess! This "mess" is certainly not what Jesus prayed for!

Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. [John 17.11]

I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. [John 17.21]

For Solomon to make the observation of Ecclesiastes 12.12 is a big deal because Solomon was a man of great wisdom. So, in light of Solomon having made the statement of Ecclesiastes 12.12, we should be keenly alert to what he followed that observation with:

That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. [Ecclesiastes 12.13]

If writing books and studying are not the answer, what is? Fearing God and obeying His commands.

Unfortunately the topic of fearing God and obeying His commands is just as divisive among denominations and sects of Christianity. Most of Christianity must necessarily engage in long dialog to "explain" fearing God and obeying His commands. These explanations generally address the Bible's division into the Old and New Testaments. So much effort has been made to support the distinction between the Old and New Testaments that few, if any are actually grounded on the overriding Bible fact that Jesus existed from the beginning. And so, the arguments continue...

However, if people will see it, Jesus explained "fearing God and obeying His commands" in simple terms:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)]

If all the books in the world, and all the study thereof, do not arrive at Matthew 16.24, they are eternally useless. Jesus attested to this fact:

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! [John 5.39]

Every bit of "fearing God and obeying His commands" is fulfilled in a person giving up their own way, taking up their cross, and following Jesus.

It's that simple. Our religious divisions are wrong, and Jesus is right.

Father, Solomon's testimony is valid... He walked in Your extreme blessings, forsook You, and then seemingly came back to You in his conclusion of Ecclesiastes 12.13. May we be as candid in our understanding. So be it.