See The Problem?

Like our ancestors, we have sinned. We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly! [Psalm 106.6] 

What follows this verse is a sad history of Israel's digression into idolatry.

Here is how it started:

Our ancestors in Egypt were not impressed by the LORD’s miraculous deeds. They soon forgot his many acts of kindness to them. Instead, they rebelled against him at the Red Sea. [Psalm 106.7]

Through all the miraculous plagues God put upon Egypt, His own people, whom He spared, shrugged their shoulders at the distinction God made between them and Egypt. This malcontent became evident at the Red Sea:

Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’” [Exodus 14.12] 

Israel's ingratitude in Egypt led to their blasphemous claim above when cornered at the Red Sea. It is here in this condition, like our ancestors, that we find ourselves ungrateful for what God has done to the point that we reason that the world's way is better than God's way. They believed they were better off alive as slaves in Egypt than potentially dead in the wilderness (but free). Their number one mistake was to believe "life" was the goal. From that mistaken platform, every idol takes its stance.

Remember, what Psalm 106.6 is pointing out is that, like our ancestors, we have sinned... So, how does this apply to us today?

The way of Egypt, the way of the world, can clearly be seen in man's industries of finance, insurance, medicine and technology. First and foremost, without exception, these industries enslave people so they might build their own empires. They do so through demanding payments for benefits that God says, in His Word, He will provide. In exchange, they all promise "better life" - "It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!"

The way of the world can also be seen in the godlessness of the industries of finance, insurance, medicine and technology. Their high-end marketing unashamedly presents the pursuit of life as all-important. But they do not stop there. Their seductive advertisements, with predictable frequency, not only utilize sexual appeal, but go so far as to present wicked sexual perversion as "normal" depicting same-sex relationships and even transgenderism. The fact that these industries attract us away from trusting God ALONE aside, they do so while 'flooding us' with immorality. What they do to God's people today is the modern version of what they did to our ancestor, Israel:

The people made a calf at Mount Sinai; they bowed before an image made of gold. They traded their glorious God for a statue of a grass-eating bull. [Psalm 106.19-20]

They defiled themselves by their evil deeds, and their love of idols was adultery in the LORD’s sight. [Psalm 106.39] 

Finance, insurance, medicine and technology persuade us to trade the distinct glory of our miraculous God for their money-grubbing empires. They effectively enslave God's people making them believe slavery to them is better than God's miraculous provision. God's people trade their glorious God for temporary provision. It has become so commonplace that no one even notices. There is no distinction between God's people and the world today - no distinction between God's glory and money-grubbing idols.

It does not matter whether I am right or wrong on this issue. The BIBLE is right on it in stunningly timeless fashion! The BIBLE says, "Like our ancestors, we have sinned. We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly!" To deny this statement is to deny the BIBLE and therefore to deny God.

In contrast to the "better life promises" of man's modern idols, Jesus confirms God's stance on the matter:

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)]

Jesus does not lure people with "better life" like the world's idols do. Jesus calls people unto Himself. In fact, death and destruction are given no gravity whatsoever (...take up your cross). Following Jesus is much simpler, but He Himself said it would not be easy:

But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. [Matthew 7.14]

The Kingdom, that the gateway to life leads into, is the goal. And, unsurprisingly, here is what Jesus said about the Kingdom:

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. [Matthew 6.33] 

In contrast, the world's idols offer everything we need. See the problem?

Will we, like our ancestors, trade God's glory to insist on trusting our idols, or will we trust Jesus for everything we need? 

Father, help us first to see our offense directly against You in our adulterous relationship with idols - the money-grubbing immoral industries of finance, insurance, medicine and technology. Then, help us see the narrow gate and difficult road to Your Kingdom with its benefit of "all we need" in miraculous provision. Your Word is clear on the subject, but the world and worldly religion have blinded Your people to the truth. Help us to see Jesus as the very embodiment of Your truth. Help us to give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Him. So be it.

Reasoning vs. Rejoicing (Complicated vs. Simple)

May all my thoughts be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD. [Psalm 104.34] 

For every person who has every asked, "How can I get control of my thoughts?" we find the answer in today's One Year Chronological Bible reading.

"Rejoice in the LORD" sounds simple enough, right? The problem is, it sounds too simple. The unregenerated human mind reasons that it is too simple. And, this is where idolatry takes hold - this is where man's reason betrays him causing him to look elsewhere than to God for solutions.

Any human-concocted solution that man attempts to displace his godless thoughts with is an idol. In contrast, God, Who demands our undivided trust in Him alone, says, "Rejoice in the LORD"...

For all the people determined to figure it our for themselves, "Rejoice in the LORD"...

For all the people struggling with doubt,  "Rejoice in the LORD"...

For all the people seething in hatred, "Rejoice in the LORD"...

For all the people prone to gossip, "Rejoice in the LORD"...

For all the people knee-deep in need, "Rejoice in the LORD"...

For all the people given over to selfishness (and all the depraved self-gratification it spawns), "Rejoice in the LORD"...

Had Adam and Eve stopped the thought process suggested by Satan by simply beginning to "Rejoice in the LORD"... history would look different.

Reason has no bearing on "rejoice in the LORD." In fact, if what Psalm 104.34 is accurate, then, "rejoice in the LORD" transcends reason.

"Rejoice in the LORD" defensively exalts God as the one and only solution to any and every thought of man (from whence comes every action of man).

Doesn't it make perfect sense then, that every other idol of man keeps him busy - too busy, in fact, to pause and "rejoice in the LORD"? Man's idol industries of finance, insurance, medicine and technology keep man "hopping" to make ends meet distracting him from what is the core solution to every thought that gives way to every action: "Rejoice in the LORD."

God never intended that man "figure it out." And, even if we are confused by the Old Testament and all it says, should we not take Jesus' words for their simplicity? Was that not God's exact plan all along - that Jesus would bring light (clarity) and therefore salvation to mankind?

Here's what Jesus said:

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. [Matthew 6.31-34]

Worry is a thought. Whether it is a thought about what we will eat, what we will drink, or what we will wear, it is a thought about what we need or what we want. The ONLY way we will be pleasing to God in those thoughts is to "rejoice in the LORD."

The ONLY way we will effectively "rejoice in the LORD" however is if we defensively agree with His Commandments - particularly the first three:

“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]

So, what are your thoughts right now? 

If, in our thoughts, we do not first control the narrative, defending Who God is and what God does ("rejoicing in the LORD"), we give idolatry and all its nasty outcomes free-reign in our lives. This explains why finance (debt), insurance, medicine and technology, in modern human reasoning, are so engrained in (inseparable from) our current lives and society. This explains why the Church today is so powerless. This also explains why all manner of sexual sin progresses unchecked. It's all part of idolatry and the Bible has been warning us of it all along.

It is hard to "rejoice in the LORD" however if we are ignorant of Who He is and what He does. This is the condition that religion without actual relationship with God renders upon mankind. "So," the question begs to be asked, "how do we know we have relationship with God?" Good question! Easy answer: Jesus!

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)]

How could such a simple answer have such complicated implications? Well, here we go... when we use our minds to reason instead of rejoicing, the complications begin!

"Rejoice in the LORD" means to unapologetically defend Who God is and what God does. When that priority is firmly established, our thoughts will please God because then, and only then, can we be focused on His Kingdom without regard for circumstances - as Jesus demonstrated to perfection.

Father, I never thought so much could be found in Psalm 104.34. But as I have come to know You and Your Word better, the clearer I see verses like Psalm 104.34. May I be found rejoicing in You so that my thoughts and my actions will please You. May I be found giving up my own way, taking up my cross, and following Jesus. So be it.

A Challenge To Christians

Those who worship idols are disgraced—all who brag about their worthless gods—for every god must bow to him. [Psalm 97.7] 

Think about it...

I want to challenge Christians everywhere to find a single advertisement for debt, insurance, medicine or technology that gives God the credit for their advertised benefit.

The thing is, none of these idol industries give God credit or glory. It is God's people that try to justify their spiritual adultery in trusting these idols by claiming they are "gifts from God."

The "necessity" of these idol industries represents a polar-opposite priority than what Jesus demands. In other words, the "life" that the idol industries of debt, insurance, medicine and technology all promote is the very thing Jesus demanded we must "give up."

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)]

Literally nothing in Jesus' demand above suggests that we preserve or even pursue "life." Nothing.

Being a Christ-follower is not an add-on to a person's life. It is to be the sum total of their life.

What this means is that a would-be follower of Christ has a LOT of idols to jettison if he or she is to be recognized by Christ as His follower! Not my words... see Matthew 16.24 above.

Father, the implications of Matthew 16.24 and our "necessity" idols of debt, insurance, medicine and technology are serious ...if indeed we see them for what they are. Oh God Who created our ears, may we with them hear! Oh God Who made our eyes, may we with them see! May all who follow Jesus distinctly represent Him today in the earth, giving up their own way, taking up their cross, and following Him. So be it.

God Alone Means God Alone

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished. If you make the LORD your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home. For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone. You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet! The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.” [Psalm 91] 

Why would anyone who genuinely believes Psalm 91 need debt, insurance, medicine or technology?

Let the question above be answered here clearly: Because an important part of verse 2 is ignored:

This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. [Psalm 91.2]

Is verse 2 completely ignored? No, of course not! Otherwise we would not have or need religion and religious activities. However the most important part of verse 2 is indeed not only ignored, but blatantly violated. Here it is again with bold indicating where people go terribly wrong:

This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. [Psalm 91.2] 

In today's One Year Chronological Bible reading, we find more than one reference to God alone...

Let your unfailing love surround us, LORD, for our hope is in you alone. [Psalm 33.22]

O LORD, you alone are my hope. I’ve trusted you, O LORD, from childhood. [Psalm 71.5] 

I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign LORD. I will tell everyone that you alone are just. [Psalm 71.16] 

What makes a person believe God alone does not mean God alone? The answer is also found in today's One Year Chronological Bible reading:

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. [Psalm 1.1-3]

The counsel of the world contradicts the counsel of the Word of God. Where God says in His Word that He will take care of our every need (clearly stated in Psalm 91), the advice of the wicked world instead says, "You need debt, insurance, medicine and technology."

What is worse is that the counsel of religion contradicts the counsel of the Word of God! Where God says in His Word, "I will take care of your every need" (clearly stated in Psalm 91), religion, just like the wicked world, instead also says, "You also need debt, insurance, medicine and technology."

Then, when all hell breaks loose and religious people begin to feel sorry for themselves, religion, that agrees with the world saying they need the idols of debt, insurance, medicine and technology, tells them, "God knows your heart..." as if that makes pitiful dependence upon idols alright... while God's Word says:

The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? [Jeremiah 17.9]

The issue is not God knowing our heart, but instead that we do not know our heart! If we do not know God's Word, there is no way we can know our own heart! Instead, we will follow the advice of the wicked, stand around with sinners, and even join in with those who mock God and His Word. And, how do we do that? By embracing debt, insurance, medicine and technology instead of God because we have not meditated on God's Word day and night!

God and His Word are not wrong on this issue! God and His Word are not unclear on this issue! God wants our hope, our trust, and our justice to come from Him ALONE!

Then comes along Jesus. While many may be sighing in relief right now that Jesus makes it all okay, nothing could be further from the truth because Jesus actually went right straight to the heart of the matter of not trusting God alone:

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)]

Debt, insurance, medicine and technology are our "...own way." And, the very destruction they claim we need them to remediate is the very destruction Jesus, to the contrary, instructed us to fearlessly embrace: "take up your cross..."!

This is a clear representation of what the Word of God teaches us. And, we can be absolutely certain that...

Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. [Proverbs 30.5]

Father in heaven, we have for so long believed the lie that we need something in addition to You to be sustained in this earth. However, Your word is clear that You want and demand that we trust in You ALONE. Now, for us to get back to that kind of dependence only upon You, we find ourselves not only with a spiritual decision, but a cultural decision... one that will undoubtedly disrupt all that we know as "normal" in our lives. Raise up among us those who will courageously break counsel with the world and religion not following the advice of the wicked, not standing around with sinners, and not joining in with mockers. Raise up among us those who will give up their own way, take up their cross, and follow Jesus - God in the flesh - ALONE. So be it. 

Not Just Trusting God, But Trusting God ALONE

O LORD of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in you. [Psalm 84.12] 

It is a powerful little verse. It basically sums up the Bible. And, it goes along perfectly with what Hebrews says about God:

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. [Hebrews 11.6]

God actually seeks out those who are committed to full one hundred percent trust in Him: 

The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. [2 Chronicles 16.9] 

When we compare God's pleasure with our faith in the verses above with His commandments, we find just how serious God is about our faith and trust in Him and Him ALONE:

“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]

Not just trusting God, but trusting God ALONE is God's idea of relationship. This is God's choice and not man's. Partial trust in God is not even a thing in God's eyes, and goes unrecognized by Him. Contrary to popular belief, God does not give participation awards.

Jesus, as God in the flesh, was not at all being abstract when He laid our His demand upon His followers:

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)]

Yes, God's love and mercy are there, but when it comes to faith, He makes no exceptions. "Giving up" and "taking up your cross" are all-in responses to God and not merely suggestions. They are essential. He does not compete for some of our trust - He demands all of it it.

Jesus will not rule our hearts alongside other leaders (idols) in our lives.

We should not be surprised at the statement above, because it is the theme of the entire Bible. To miss God on this point, is to miss God altogether: God is God ALONE.

Frankly, if God's people really believed what is said up to this point (myself included), our lives would look entirely different than they do. We cannot look like God and look like the world too. We cannot trust God and trust the world too. It is not possible... regardless what we deceive ourselves to think. 

Anything we trust (put our faith in) that the godless world trusts also, is an idol. Let that soak in.

Father, Your call to undivided faith is undeniable. Help us to see that until we actually believe this fact, we are just "playing church" in powerless religion. May Your Church rise up in faith that pleases You intentionally choosing faith in You ALONE over any and every worldly solution (idol). So be it.

Neither Death Nor Life...

Only by your power can we push back our enemies; only in your name can we trample our foes. I do not trust in my bow; I do not count on my sword to save me. [Psalm 44.5-6] 

Psalm 44 is a tough one. As much as we would like to make a poster for the wall with the passage above on it, we must first consider the entire context of Psalm 44 to get the full impact of it.

Ready?

What follows the passage above, starting in verse 9 and going through verse 16 sets an uncomfortable stage for what is coming afterwards:

But now you have tossed us aside in dishonor. You no longer lead our armies to battle. You make us retreat from our enemies and allow those who hate us to plunder our land. You have butchered us like sheep and scattered us among the nations. You sold your precious people for a pittance, making nothing on the sale. You let our neighbors mock us. We are an object of scorn and derision to those around us. You have made us the butt of their jokes; they shake their heads at us in scorn. We can’t escape the constant humiliation; shame is written across our faces. All we hear are the taunts of our mockers. All we see are our vengeful enemies. [Psalm 44.9-16]

 And what comes after Psalm 44.9-16?

All this has happened though we have not forgotten you. We have not violated your covenant. Our hearts have not deserted you. We have not strayed from your path. Yet you have crushed us in the jackal’s desert home. You have covered us with darkness and death. If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread our hands in prayer to foreign gods, God would surely have known it, for he knows the secrets of every heart. But for your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep. [Psalm 44.17-22]

How can this be reconciled? The Bible clearly teaches that blessings will chase those who obey God. It also teaches that curses will chase those who disobey God (see Deuteronomy 28). 

The last part of Psalm 44 gives little comfort...

Wake up, O Lord! Why do you sleep? Get up! Do not reject us forever. Why do you look the other way? Why do you ignore our suffering and oppression? We collapse in the dust, lying face down in the dirt. Rise up! Help us! Ransom us because of your unfailing love. [Psalm 44.23-26]

Psalm 44 should be seen as a momentous Psalm of true heart commitment. Think of Daniel at this point. Think of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego at this point. They were arrested and put in deadly situations even though they had done absolutely nothing wrong in God's eyes. And yet, there was the time between their righteous living and their undeserved punishment (persecution) where they could easily and appropriately cry out the words of Psalm 44.

The presence of mind necessary to quote Psalm 44 in the midst of undeserved trials is other-worldly. Nominal Christians will never understand it. Anyone who idolizes life will never understand it. Anyone who is not one hundred percent committed to God will never understand it. Anyone who has not given up everything, taken up their cross, and followed Jesus will never understand it. And yet... the apostle Paul, in his letter to the Roman Church actually quoted from Psalm 44:

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Romans 8.35-39]

And this brings us back to the subject passage above from Psalm 44.5-6...

Only by your power can we push back our enemies; only in your name can we trample our foes. I do not trust in my bow; I do not count on my sword to save me. [Psalm 44.5-6] 

We all understand the "neither death..." part of Paul's words in Romans 8, but do we understand the "nor life..." part of it? Are we as willing to disallow life from separating us from God's love as much as we are willing to disallow death from it? Before answering this question, should we not consider the degree to which we strive to "live" in spite of God's promise to care for us only in His name without the aid of our own devices (our bow and sword)? We should.

It is here where we see our "bow and sword" idol industries of finance, insurance, medicine and technology manifest. We REALLY don't believe Psalm 44.5-6! When faced with lack, disaster, sickness or discomfort, we quickly (and whorishly, in God's eyes) turn to the idols mentioned herein negating any possibility of us quoting Psalm 44 with any integrity of commitment. And worse, we look just like the world having completely missed the opportunity to give witness to a Daniel-in-the-lion's-den moment. We miss a fiery-furnace opportunity like the three Hebrews to refuse to bow regardless the outcome.

Yes, the reason we don't see the miraculous today is because we don't "need" to (or, so we think). Who needs God when we have debt, insurance medicine and technology to keep us alive and thriving? These man-made solutions for "living" - staying alive - (our bow and sword) render us independent of God - whether we admit it or not.

Let's look at what Jesus demanded:

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 giving up "your own way" is not clear enough, taking up "your cross" makes it crystal clear that not even death (our cross) is a deterrent to following Jesus. Aaaaaaand that is where most people draw their line. After all, doesn't it say somewhere in the Bible that God helps those who help themselves??? In a word, "No."

Is our commitment to God only good as long as it does not hurt? It's a good thing Jesus did not have that attitude.

The Bible reveals God's desire to bless His people. This is indisputable.

The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. [2 Chronicles 16.9]

How far are we willing to go to fully commit to Him? 

Father, for as many times as I have struggled with Psalm 44, today, I feel like I get it (at least to some degree). May Your power manifest in me - whether it is the power to live or the power to die. May my life glorify You and ONLY You. So be it.

Speak Up

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. [Proverbs 31.8-9] 

Aside from the 6th Commandment, no other scripture in the entire Bible justifies preserving the lives of unborn children more than this verse in Proverbs.

Father in heaven, may Your blessing be obvious upon those who speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. As the deadly war on unborn children continues across the world, strengthen the unyielding warriors who tirelessly and selflessly champion the cause for life. So be it.