Comments on Complaining

The subject of complaining is less black and white than I originally thought.

A little more than I month ago I set out to write a blog post on the subject of complaining.  I was going to entitle it "Stop Complaining!" and it was going to talk about the evils of complaining, that we shouldn't do it, and how doing it is a sign of an unconverted heart.  More recently I have come to have a somewhat different view of the subject.  I had been thinking a lot about religious liberty thanks in part to an excellent program on the subject from PBS entitled "God in America".  I saw that how throughout the history of the United States that the existence of religious liberty is in a large part due to quite a bit of complaining.  In fact, most, if not all of the rights citizens and visitors enjoy exist because of complaining.  Here are a few examples.

If nobody had complained . . .

• We would all be a member of one state church.
• We would still have slavery.
• Women would not be able to vote.
• School, buses, etc. would still be segregated.

And most importantly . . .

• We would still be part of the British Empire.

This is by no means an exhaustive commentary about complaining, but if you have the same views that I used to have, I hope this helps you start thinking about things in a different way.

"The Powers That Be"

A better understanding of Romans 13:1-9 gave me a better understanding how God intended government to be run.

I mentioned in my first post regarding the book "Rights of the People" that there most likely would be more insights that I would like to share from this book.  My prediction proved correct with the next chapter entitled "The Powers That Be."  The following is a summary of the main thoughts found in this chapter.

Many people have used Romans 13:1 to show that civil government has the right to govern in things that pertain to God.  The first nine verses of the chapter show that governmental powers are ordained by God and state that everyone regardless of religious persuasion has "the duty of respectful subjection to civil government."  It's not a stretch of the imagination to see that this passage is built upon Jesus' command to "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's."  In this command, Jesus shows a plain recognition of "the rightfulness of civil government, and that civil government has claims upon us which we are in duty bound to recognize, and that there are things which duty requires us to render to the civil government."  The passage in Romans 13 is simply saying the same thing in different words.

Jones summarizes this point by stating,

"[T]his instruction is confined absolutely to man's relationship to his fellow-men; it is evident that when Christians have paid their taxes, and have show proper respect to their fellow-men, then their obligation, their duty, and their respect to the powers that be, have been fully discharged, and those powers never can rightly have any further jurisdiction over their conduct.  This is not to say that the State has jurisdiction of the last six commandments as such.  It is only to say that the jurisdiction of the State is confined solely to man's conduct to man, and never can touch his relationship to God, even under the second table of the law."

Even though the powers that be are ordained of God, they are not ordained for the purpose of enforcing anything regarding the first four commandments.  As a basis for this point, Jones uses the example of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.  Jeremiah 27:1-8 states that Nebuchadnezzar's power was ordained of God.  God called him "my servant" and stated that whoever would not submit to the Babylonian monarch would be severely punished.  However, there is one well-known passage that shows the limitation of God's ordination.  This is the story of the giant golden image in Daniel 3.

In this story the three Hebrews did not bow to the image when they were commanded to bow.  They knew that they should submit to Nebuchadnezzar because it had be prophesied by Jeremiah (in the previously mentioned passage) as well as by Isaiah (in Isaiah 39).  However, they knew that in regards to worship, Nebuchadnezzar had no power over them.  In the ensuing miracle of deliverance from the fire, God proved the point that even though He gave the king power, that power was limited to certain areas.  This limitation was also shown to Babylon's successor, Media-Persia, in the situation involving Daniel's worship and the den of lions.

A key question to ask at this point is the one pertaining to how the powers that be are ordained of God.  Some powers were directly and/or miraculously ordained as in the case of David, Moses, Gideon, etc.  Nebuchadnezzar did not come to power this way.  His power came through the providential workings of God, and through the people, namely the soldiers whom his father led to conquer the land of Babylonia.

Romans 13:1-9 does not speak of the rulers themselves, but rather the governmental power they represent.  Jones puts it this way,

"Outside the theocracy of Israel, there never has been a ruler on earth whose authority was not, primarily or ultimately, expressly or permissively, derived from the people.  It is not particular sovereigns whose power is ordained of God nor any particular form of government.  It is the genius of government itself.  The absence of government is anarchy."

It is interesting to note that Jones does not advocate any specific form of government, and later on in that paragraph he stated that it does not matter what form of government it is, "the governmental power and order thus exercised are ordained of God."  After stating that, he is sure to reiterate the previous point that regardless of this God-ordained power, government cannot do anything to infringe upon mankind's relationship with God.

Defining Ourselves

How we define ourselves is just as, if not more, important than how we define other people.

So often when we were growing up did we get told not to call other people names.  This was most likely done with the (unspoken) hope that we would outgrow such behavior as we got older.  While our name-calling regarding others may have lessened as we matured, many of us still fall into the trap of calling ourselves names that we shouldn't be called.  I said in my opening statement that this may be the more important behavior of the two, and here's why I made that statement.

How we define ourselves often distorts how we view the world, and therefore affects our interactions with it.  For example, if we are constantly telling ourselves that we are a failure, then we will most likely will never be truly successful.  On the flip side, if we constantly tell ourselves that we are successful then there is a distinct possibility that we will only try to accomplish things that we know we can succeed at, and not try to really push ourselves to accomplish truly great things.  In short, when we define ourselves in a certain way there is a danger that we will limit our behaviors to fulfill that definition.

This defining, or labeling (as it is sometimes called) is a symptom of our quest to understand everything which is a condition that goes back to Eden when Eve decided she had to know everything good and evil.  When we define something that means we understand it.  The problem is that understanding is often quite limited making the definition flawed.  Some have said that it is impossible to fully understand somebody else because we have not experienced all the things that they have, but that statement wouldn't apply to ourselves would it, especially considering that we have experienced everything that we gone through in life?

The problem with understanding ourselves is that we often have massive blind spots when it comes to our own behavior and being.  We often say that we are a good person, but reality says otherwise.  So how do we deal with this problem of faulty understanding and flawed definitions?  The answer to that question can be summed up into one word, surrender.  When we surrender ourselves to God, we acknowledge that He is the only One that understands everything.  Those flawed definitions then fade away and are replaced with the only definition that truly matters, "I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine."

Enforcing God's Law

Wow, it has been quite awhile since I've posted anything here, but as someone once said "Life is what happens when you make other plans." In any case, here is something I would like to share with you.

Every once in a while I read or hear something that makes so much sense that I'm surprised I hadn't read, heard, or thought of it sooner. In this case it was something I just read recently in a book written a long time ago, but first a little background.

A little while ago I was at a Christian book store thinking about buying a book. I was looking for a religious book to complement a non-religious one I was already reading. There are, of course, many good books out there, but I found one that especially caught my eye. It was a red, white, and blue paperback entitled "Rights of the People" and was written sometime in the late nineteenth century by A. T. Jones and reprinted in 1998 by TEACH Services, Inc. I just started reading the book and the thought that really struck me has to do with the role of the government in regards to morality.

Early on in the book Jones establishes the thought that the church, acting as the voice of God, and the government, acting as the voice of the state, have distinct and separate roles in society. He states that God is the sole promoter of morality, and that the state can only promote civility. To put it in other terms, the government can only judge one's actions, they cannot judge one's thoughts, and therefore cannot enforce God's law because it is based on one's thoughts and beliefs. He then poses the question that I have had in my mind for some time and that is "Doesn't the civil power enforce the parts of God's law that say that you should not steal, kill, commit adultery, etc.?" He states that it doesn't enforce them as commandments of God, then explains it in two main points.

1. If a government were to enforce those standards as God's law, then it would have to charge a man for murder if he hates someone else, for perjury one who simply tells a lie, and for adultery if one were to have lustful thoughts.
2. Punishment for crimes would be nearly impossible to carry out because if one breaks God's law and repents, he is forgiven and is no longer guilty of that offense. The government would have to release offenders on the sole basis of them asking forgiveness regardless of how many times they were to commit the offense.

These thoughts definitely shed some light for me on the concept of legislating morality, and I hope it helped you as well. Stay tuned as I'm sure this will not be the last post I make regarding thoughts from this book.

View From the Outside

Sometimes we need to ask ourselves what our church would look like through someone else's eyes.

A week or so ago I visited a church that I had only attended a couple of times before, and I couldn't help but make some observations. However, before I get into that, I'm going to give some background information. I am a firm believer that friendliness and openness are key components that add to the overall quality of the church experience, and, naturally, the lack of these components can put a somewhat negative spin to that experience. That being said, let's get into what I encountered.

I arrived at church as the first worship service was nearing an end (this church had two worship services). Simone was taking care of something at the time, so I decided to walk around the building a little bit. I decided to take a passive role regarding my interactions, that is, I wasn't openly friendly while at the same time conducting myself so as to appear approachable. The interesting thing was that during this time nobody approached me or even said "Hello" to me. It wasn't until some time later when the worship service was completed and I was seated for Sabbath School that an older gentleman came to me and welcomed me to the church.

This series of events would not have caught my attention had not just a few days earlier I had gone to an auto parts store. I had hardly two steps into the store when one of the employees called out "Welcome to _____!" A phrase that was repeated by that same person whenever someone walked into the store. The contrast between that prompt greeting and the delayed greeting I received at the church was startling.

I don't harbor any negative feelings, but I can't help but wonder if my attitude would be different had I been a true outsider, someone who had never been to that church before, or any church before my visit there. Would I have been treated differently if I wasn't dressed like an insider (shaved, combed with shirt & tie)? The more I think, the more questions come to mind, and I'm sure that some come to your mind as well.

The key conclusion I drew from this experience is that surely God's church can do better than an auto parts store. If someone were to feel unwelcome there it probably wouldn't be a problem if they could find the right part for the right price, but if someone were to feel unwelcome when they walk into a church, well, now, that's a problem.

My point in sharing all this with you is not to place blame, but hopefully to increase our awareness of how we treat the people that walk through our church doors. Because if we want those who are outsiders to our church to become insiders, well maybe we should act more like auto parts store employees.

Everlasting Law

Psalm 119:145-152 

Qoph

 ¹⁴⁵ I call with all my heart; answer me, O LORD,
       and I will obey your decrees. 
 ¹⁴⁶ I call out to you; save me
       and I will keep your statutes.
 ¹⁴⁷ I rise before dawn and cry for help;
       I have put my hope in your word.
 ¹⁴⁸ My eyes stay open through the watches of the night,
       that I may meditate on your promises.
 ¹⁴⁹ Hear my voice in accordance with your love;
       preserve my life, O LORD, according to your laws.
 ¹⁵⁰ Those who devise wicked schemes are near,
       but they are far from your law.
 ¹⁵¹ Yet you are near, O LORD,
       and all your commands are true.
 ¹⁵² Long ago I learned from your statutes
       that you established them to last forever.

God's laws are designed to last forever.

There are many good points in this passage, but the one that really stood out to me is the one found in verse 152. That point is the one I highlighted above in that the statutes (laws) of God were designed to be everlasting. The reason this point stood out from the rest is most likely because I have also been studying the book of Romans (which some of you probably are doing as well). I won't go into depth regarding Romans, but as many of you know, there are quite a few people who misuse that book of the Bible to say things that aren't true. The big one being that the Law of God was done away with at the cross. Verse 152 stands in direct contradiction to that argument.

If God's statutes were established to last forever, than why would He do away with them after a few thousand years, which are nothing compared with eternity? The closest illustration I can think of would be if those responsible for the Hoover Dam, a structure that was designed to last a very long time, were to suddenly decide that it should be destroyed. No doubt people would think that they were crazy. Yet, sadly, this is how many view God and His laws. To think that He would do away with something that was established to last forever is to think that He is impulsive at best.

I know this may be an oversimplification of the matter, but then again that may only be in contrast to people's tendency to over complicate things. God designed for His laws to last forever, and that is exactly how we should view them.

Time to Act

Psalm 119:121-128 

Ayin

 ¹²¹ I have done what is righteous and just;
       do not leave me to my oppressors. 
 ¹²² Ensure your servant's well-being;
       let not the arrogant oppress me.
 ¹²³ My eyes fail, looking for your salvation,
       looking for your righteous promise.
 ¹²⁴ Deal with your servant according to your love
       and teach me your decrees.
 ¹²⁵ I am your servant; give me discernment
       that I may understand your statutes.
 ¹²⁶ It is time for you to act, O LORD;
       your law is being broken.
 ¹²⁷ Because I love your commands
       more than gold, more than pure gold,
 ¹²⁸ and because I consider all your precepts right,
       I hate every wrong path.

We must know when to act and when we should leave the actions to God.

Even though I quoted the entire ayin section above, I will focus mainly on verse 126. The psalmist, as we can ascertain from reading the rest of the psalm, was a person who had a close relationship with God, and had very high esteem for His law. Even though much of Psalm 119 is devoted to talking about the psalmist's actions in regards to the law, such is not the case in verse 126. Here the psalmist states that it is time for God to act, not himself. That is an attitude that we all should spend more time developing.

Too many people have the mentality that they should be defenders of the faith. I did a simple word search for the word "defend" and found only one reference that talked about a human being defending the gospel. The rest were either God defending us or us defending other people.

What I get out of this is that we should spend less time thinking about how to defend God and His law from attackers, and spend more time thinking about how to proclaim His message to a dying world. God and His Word have stood the test of time well before we came on the scene. He is much better at defending such attacks than we could ever be. So with this in mind, let us remember that there are times when we should act and there are times when we should leave the actions to God.

More Intelligent

Psalm 119:97-104 

Mem

 ⁹⁷ Oh, how I love your law!
       I meditate on it all day long. 
 ⁹⁸ Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,
       for they are ever with me.
 ⁹⁹ I have more insight than all my teachers,
       for I meditate on your statutes.
 ¹⁰⁰ I have more understanding than the elders,
       for I obey your precepts.
 ¹⁰¹ I have kept my feet from every evil path
       so that I might obey your word.
 ¹⁰² I have not departed from your laws,
       for you yourself have taught me.
 ¹⁰³ How sweet are your words to my taste,
       sweeter than honey to my mouth!
 ¹⁰⁴ I gain understanding from your precepts;
       therefore I hate every wrong path.

Attention students, obeying God's law makes you more intelligent.

Upon reading my previous statement, you may say, "Sure, obeying God's law can make me more intelligent regarding God's law, but I'm studying _________." My reply to that is that obedience to God's law makes you more intelligent in all fields, and here's why.

I operate off the concept that obeying His law makes a person more at peace. To truly obey His law is to come into close contact with Him and His character. To come in contact with His character means to have a greater sense of His love for us, and that gives us peace. Many researchers have discovered (and many of us know from personal experience) that emotional stress often inhibits memory function. So the stress reduction that comes from a close relationship with God enables to remember what we have studied. However, this psalm deals with more than simply an increase in academic knowledge.

This psalm deals with such intangibles as wisdom, insight, and understanding, which involve how we use the knowledge that we have. So not only will obeying God's law makes us more intelligent, but we will have greater wisdom, insight, and understanding, which as many of us have found is often a greater help than simply knowing facts and figures.

Have doubts that this works, try it out for yourself. Taste and see that the Lord is good, and you will not be disappointed.

Affliction

Psalm 119:65-72 

Teth

 ⁶⁵ Do good to your servant
       according to your word, O LORD. 
 ⁶⁶ Teach me knowledge and good judgment,
       for I believe in your commands.
 ⁶⁷ Before I was afflicted I went astray,
       but now I obey your word.
 ⁶⁸ You are good, and what you do is good;
       teach me your decrees.
 ⁶⁹ Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies,
       I keep your precepts with all my heart.
 ⁷⁰ Their hearts are callous and unfeeling,
       but I delight in your law.
 ⁷¹ It was good for me to be afflicted
       so that I might learn your decrees.
 ⁷² The law from your mouth is more precious to me
       than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.

Strange as it may seem, affliction can be good for you.

The word "afflicted" is mentioned twice in this passage, and I was curious to see what it meant. I first looked it up in the dictionary, but still felt a little unsatisfied. I then decided to look the word up in the original Hebrew, and found additional meaning that was only alluded to in the dictionary. That additional meaning was the aspect of being humbled. So to put things together, "affliction" would mean something similar to "painful humbling".

In both occurrences of the word, it is mentioned in a positive sense because it was this affliction that led the psalmist to a greater appreciation of God's law. He states that he was "astray" before the affliction, sort of wandering away from God, but the affliction brought that wandering to an end.

I can't help but think that if he had not gone astray that the affliction would not have been necessary. So, the key here is that if we stay close to God, and do not go astray, this affliction can be avoided. We have two choices, we can humble [afflict] ourselves, or God can do it for us. However, if/when God does this we can rejoice because we know that the end result is a greater appreciation for His law and a closer relationship with Him.

Late Night Thanks

Psalm 119:57-64 

Heth

 ⁵⁷ You are my portion, O LORD;
       I have promised to obey your words. 
 ⁵⁸ I have sought your face with all my heart;
       be gracious to me according to your promise.
 ⁵⁹ I have considered my ways
       and have turned my steps to your statutes.
 ⁶⁰ I will hasten and not delay
       to obey your commands.
 ⁶¹ Though the wicked bind me with ropes,
       I will not forget your law.
 ⁶² At midnight I rise to give you thanks
       for your righteous laws.
 ⁶³ I am a friend to all who fear you,
       to all who follow your precepts.
 ⁶⁴ The earth is filled with your love, O LORD;
       teach me your decrees.

What do you think about when you wake up in the middle of the night?

As you may have guessed from the introduction, the verse I am focusing on in this section is verse 62. Here the psalmist states that he rises at midnight to thank God for his "righteous laws". I don't know about you, but when I wake up in the middle of the night, I generally am not thanking God for His laws. Recently, the main reason I wake up is that I am either too hot or too cold (our home is somewhat lacking in insulation, so the temperature can vary quite a bit), so I am thinking about how to warm up or cool down. I don't give thanks to God, but I probably should do that more often.

I say "more often" because recently I have made an effort to be more thankful. My wife and I pray together at night before we go to sleep, and about a week ago I decided that these prayers should be prayers of thanks. I can't speak for my wife, but I can say that this experiment is already paying off for me. I find myself more at peace when I go to sleep. Am I at the same point that the psalmist is? No, but hopefully if I continue to develop a thankful spirit, I will be.

Opposition

Psalm 119:49-56 

z Zayin

 ⁴⁹ Remember your word to your servant,
       for you have given me hope. 
 ⁵⁰ My comfort in my suffering is this:
       Your promise preserves my life.
 ⁵¹ The arrogant mock me without restraint,
       but I do not turn from your law.
 ⁵² I remember your ancient laws, O LORD,
       and I find comfort in them.
 ⁵³ Indignation grips me because of the wicked,
       who have forsaken your law.
 ⁵⁴ Your decrees are the theme of my song
       wherever I lodge.
 ⁵⁵ In the night I remember your name, O LORD,
       and I will keep your law.
 ⁵⁶ This has been my practice:
       I obey your precepts.

When keeping God's law, we will undoubtedly encounter people who think we should do otherwise.

The verse that stood out the most to me in this passage is verse 51, especially the "without restraint" part. There is few things more annoying to a law-breaker than one who consistently keeps the law. Such a person is a rebuke to their lawlessness, and because of that they will take those negative feelings and turn them upon the law-keeper. We shouldn't allow this unrestrained mocking to turn us from keeping the law. We need to find comfort in God's commands.

Lord, help me to stay true to You regardless of what other people say and do to me.

Confidence

Psalm 119:41-48 

w Waw

 ⁴¹ May your unfailing love come to me, O LORD,
       your salvation according to your promise; 
 ⁴² then I will answer the one who taunts me,
       for I trust in your word.
 ⁴³ Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth,
       for I have put my hope in your laws.
 ⁴⁴ I will always obey your law,
       for ever and ever.
 ⁴⁵ I will walk about in freedom,
       for I have sought out your precepts.
 ⁴⁶ I will speak of your statutes before kings
       and will not be put to shame,
 ⁴⁷ for I delight in your commands
       because I love them.
 ⁴⁸ I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love,
       and I meditate on your decrees.

Keeping the law gives us a confidence that we otherwise wouldn't have.

I want to focus on verses 45-47 in this section because it talks about a noticeable benefit of keeping God's, confidence. The psalmist here states that he "will walk about in freedom" because he seeks out God's precepts. He also states that he will speak of God's law before kings "and will not be put to shame." Doing what is right gives us a confidence, a boldness, that we otherwise wouldn't have. We can withstand a lot of criticism from others if we know that what they are saying is false. In my studying of the life of the apostle Paul, it is easy for me to see that he had this confidence, this boldness that stood in such a stark contrast to his accusers. He had that confidence because he knew what he believed and he knew that what he believed was right.

It is important to note what it states in the end of verse 47, "because I love them". If we are keeping God's law for any other reason than love, we will not have that confidence because that confidence does not come from fulfilling an obligation. Someone once told me that God = law = love. To think of it in any other way would be to have a legalistic, works-oriented religion.

Paul Before Nero

We must never give up witnessing to others for we never know what may come from it.

As I mentioned in a previous post, the evil Jewish leaders had accused Paul of burning Rome. Now in this chapter, Paul is brought before the emperor Nero to answer for his so-called crimes. It was customary in the Greek and Roman culture to have an advocate speak for the accused much like a defense lawyer. This advocated need not be a lawyer, simply someone eloquent who might convince the tribunal to release the prisoner or at least mitigate the punishment. Paul had no such advocate. For one reason or another, no one came forward to defend Paul. So Paul had to speak for himself. However he was not alone, for God was with him.

A great crowd had gathered to see the proceedings, for apparently such things were as interesting to people back then as they are now. Paul used this for the advantage of the gospel. His whole being radiated peace to the surprise of many of the onlookers, and he spoke with such eloquence that many people were led to believe in Jesus and change their ways. Even Nero, whose debauchery was repulsive to even many of the heathens of his day was pricked in the heart, and for a brief moment he almost surrender his heart to God. Sadly, that moment was simply just a moment, and when the prison door shut behind Paul once again, the door of probation was shut forever behind Nero.

Too many people if put in a similar situation would have said "What's the use? These people are too far gone, it pointless to even bother. I'm not going to to put pearls in front of swine." Such people do not have the mind of Christ. We must never give up trying to witness to others regardless of how hopeless it seems.

The Final Arrest

No man, even the apostle Paul, is an island.

Well, those evil Jews were at it again. I really shouldn't be surprised at the lengths these men went through to get rid of Paul, but this surprised me. In this chapter it is written that they accused Paul of setting Rome ablaze. The anti-Christian sentiment was so strong at the time that it didn't take much to make the accusation stick. Paul was arrested, and instead of a nice house, he was put into a gloomy dungeon.

Many of his friends had left the city for one reason or another, and he valued those who stayed that much more. A key person was Luke who "was a great comfort to Paul and enabled him to communicate with his brethren and the world without" (pg. 490). Another friend who stayed was Onesiphorous.

This warmhearted Ephesian did all in his power to lighten the burden of the apostle's imprisonment. His beloved teacher was in bonds for the truth's sake, while he himself went free, and he spared himself no effort to make Paul's lot more bearable. pg. 490

We all need each other. Even Jesus wanted the sympathy of His disciples while at Gethsemane. Those who spend their lives in service of others still need to be ministered to once in a while. May we all be more attuned to the needs of others and do our best to fulfill them.

At Liberty

We should make the most of the opportunities God gives us.

In this chapter there is an interesting turn of events in Paul's life. Up until this point, the centurion overseeing him had been quite helpful and gracious to him. This man is now replaced by someone quite the opposite. And the Caesar to which Paul had appealed to, well, lets just say that he was not so favorable either.

Paul could hope for little justice from the Caesar to whom he had appealed. Nero was more debased in morals, more frivolous in character, and at the same time capable of more atrocious cruelty, than any ruler who had preceded him. The reins of government could not have been entrusted to a more despotic ruler. The first year of his reign had been marked by the poisoning of his young stepbrother, the rightful heir to the throne. From one depth of vice and crime to another, Nero had descended, until he had murdered his own mother, and then his wife. There was no atrocity which he would not perpetrate, no vile act to which he would not stoop. In every noble mind he inspired only abhorrence and contempt. pp. 486, 487

From a human perspective, Paul was pretty much doomed, yet we have to remember this is Paul we're dealing with here. He was not afraid. He knew that God would take care of him, and you know what, He did.

 And God did shield His servant. At Paul's examination the charges against him were not sustained, and, contrary to the general expectation, and with a regard for justice wholly at variance with his character, Nero declared the prisoner guiltless. Paul's bonds were removed; he was again a free man. pp. 487, 488

This happened just in time too. For soon after Paul's release and departure from Rome (would you stick around?) the infamous Nero did what he is now infamous for. He burned Rome and blamed the Christians.

Paul was now getting up there in years, and he knew his time was short, so he now worked that much harder to win souls and strengthen those in the faith.

Our opportunities may not be as dramatic as Paul's, yet we can make full use of the advantages given to us. If we are faithful in the little things, Jesus said, we will be faithful in the big ones as well.

Teach Me

Psalm 119:33-40 

He

 ³³ Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees;
       then I will keep them to the end. 
 ³⁴ Give me understanding, and I will keep your law
       and obey it with all my heart.
 ³⁵ Direct me in the path of your commands,
       for there I find delight.
 ³⁶ Turn my heart toward your statutes
       and not toward selfish gain.
 ³⁷ Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
       preserve my life according to your word. 
 ³⁸ Fulfill your promise to your servant,
       so that you may be feared.
  ³⁹ Take away the disgrace I dread, 
       for your laws are good.
 ⁴⁰ How I long for your precepts!
       Preserve my life in your righteousness.

Education is essential to keeping God's law.

It is interesting the phrases the psalmist uses in this psalm and how much they coincide with an education of one sort or another; phrases such as "teach me", "Give me understanding", "Direct me", etc. The temptation when it comes to the subject of God's law is to go to extremes. The one extreme being that we do absolutely nothing and the other to do absolutely everything. The presence of the aforementioned phrases seem to strike somewhere in the middle. To educate someone else means imparting knowledge with the purpose of assisting them in doing something for themselves. Consider this:

When the Spirit of God controls mind and heart, the converted soul breaks forth into a new song; for he realizes that in his experience the promise of God has been fulfilled, that his transgression has been forgiven, his sin covered. He has exercised repentance toward God for the violation of the divine law, and faith toward Christ, who died for man's justification. "Being justified by faith," he has "peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1.

But because this experience is his, the Christian is not therefore to fold his hands, content with that which has been accomplished for him. He who has determined to enter the spiritual kingdom will find that all the powers and passions of unregenerate nature, backed by the forces of the kingdom of darkness, are arrayed against him. Each day he must renew his consecration, each day do battle with evil. Old habits, hereditary tendencies to wrong, will strive for the mastery, and against these he is to be ever on guard, striving in Christ's strength for victory. --The Acts of the Apostles pp. 476, 477

Conversion, using your desire to take that first step, is not the end of the effort. It is the beginning. There is some work that needs to be done by us and through us. 

This education involves more than simply information. It involves changing habits. Along this line, the phrase "turn my eyes away from worthless things" stood out to me. The ancient Hebrew word shav translated into "worthless things" in the NIV is also translated into "vanity" in the KJV. It connotes emptiness and falsehood. There are many things in this life that falsely promise fulfillment, but end up giving us emptiness. We need to turn away from these things if we are to truly keep the law of God.

There is much more to be learned from this passage, and I encourage you to take the time to study it for the education you will receive is essential to continue on this journey of keeping God's law.

Written From Rome

We can learn a lot from Paul's prison letters.

This chapter deals with two letters written by Paul during his prison term in Rome. The letter to the Colossians and the letter to the Philippians. E.G. White goes into a fair amount of detail regarding the content of these letters, but I will just touch on certain points so as to not rewrite the chapter.

The Colossian believers had to deal with the entrance of those who were spreading false doctrines. Something that, sadly, is still prevalent in the church today.

The warnings of the word of God regarding the perils surrounding the Christian church belong to us today. As in the days of the apostles men tried by tradition and philosophy to destroy faith in the Scriptures, so today, by the pleasing sentiments of higher criticism, evolution, spiritualism, theosophy, and pantheism, the enemy of righteousness is seeking to lead souls into forbidden paths. To many the Bible is as a lamp without oil, because they have turned their minds into channels of speculative belief that bring misunderstanding and confusion. The work of higher criticism, in dissecting, conjecturing, reconstructing, is destroying faith in the Bible as a divine revelation. It is robbing God's word of power to control, uplift, and inspire human lives. By spiritualism, multitudes are taught to believe that desire is the highest law, that license is liberty, and that man is accountable only to himself. pg. 474

We may not always see blatant examples of such belief systems in or churches, but if we look with open eyes, we can see the fruits of such beliefs. We can see interpretations of the Bible that are based upon tradition and human philosophy that do nothing more than cause confusion. However, what strikes me most about the above statement is the phrase "that man is accountable only to himself". So many people live that way even if they profess an accountability to God. To live a double life is to have no life at all.

The work of gaining salvation is one of copartnership, a joint operation. There is to be co-operation between God and the repentant sinner. This is necessary for the formation of right principles in the character. Man is to make earnest efforts to overcome that which hinders him from attaining to perfection. But he is wholly dependent upon God for success. Human effort of itself is not sufficient. Without the aid of divine power it avails nothing. God works and man works. Resistance of temptation must come from man, who must draw his power from God. On the one side there is infinite wisdom, compassion, and power; on the other, weakness, sinfulness, absolute helplessness. pg. 482

Despite his most unfavorable circumstances, Paul was able to write some masterpieces regarding practical godliness, and we would do well to take the time to read and ponder these prison letters.

Freedom and the Law

Psalm 119:25-32 

 Daleth

 ²⁵ I am laid low in the dust;
       preserve my life according to your word. 
 ²⁶ I recounted my ways and you answered me;
       teach me your decrees.
 ²⁷ Let me understand the teaching of your precepts;
       then I will meditate on your wonders.
 ²⁸ My soul is weary with sorrow;
       strengthen me according to your word.
 ²⁹ Keep me from deceitful ways;
       be gracious to me through your law.
 ³⁰ I have chosen the way of truth;
       I have set my heart on your laws.
 ³¹ I hold fast to your statutes, O LORD;
       do not let me be put to shame.
 ³² I run in the path of your commands,
       for you have set my heart free.

Contrary to popular opinion, freedom and God's law go together.

There is a lot that could be said about this section, but I want to focus on verse 32 because it deals with two concepts that are not often associated with one another: commands & freedom. Here the psalmist states that because he has been set free he will keep God's commands.

Keeping the law becomes easier when we realize that we have been set free by God. That realization means we acknowledge that He desires what is best for us. It's not as though we keep the law out of sense of obligation, but rather out of a sense of gratitude for what He has done for us. To put it another way, we are more likely to take someone's advice if they have consistently helped us out in the past.

So as we continue to ponder God's law, let us remember that this law comes from a heart of infinite love; a heart that wants us to be free.

Caesar's Household

We often don't know what will be the result of our humble witnessing.

This chapter deals with a phrase found in Philippians 4:22 that is also the title for this chapter. It talks about how even though Paul was limited to his house, and he witnessed mainly to the lower classes of people that somehow his witness reached into the halls of the emperor Nero.

Now even those of us with only a superficial knowledge of the Roman Empire have probably heard the name Nero, and the reason we have heard it is because he was so evil. E.G. White points out that the people that lived and worked in his halls were about the same as him.

Yet in this case, as in so many others, was proved the truth of Paul's assertion that the weapons of his warfare were "mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds," 2 Corinthians 10:4. Even in Nero's household, trophies of the cross were won. From the vile attendants of a viler king were gained converts who became sons of God. These were not Christians secretly, but openly. They were not ashamed of their faith. pg. 463

Paul never intended to have an influence in this area. He did not receive a divine mandate like Moses or Elijah to go and preach to the rulers of the land, yet by his persistent, humble labors a foothold for the gospel was made in the courts of the Caesar.

This should be an encouragement for us. I know it is for me. Even if we don't have the opportunity to do some "great" form of witnessing, our influence can spread farther and wider than we think. Even just through the simple witness to those we work with can make a difference. Even if we work in a Christian environment, we can be a witness to strengthen the faith of those with whom we work. Wherever we go, whatever we do, our witness can spread far and wide regardless of our situation.

He whose heart is fixed to serve God will find opportunity to witness for Him. Difficulties will be powerless to hinder him who is determined to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. In the strength gained by prayer and a study of the word, he will seek virtue and forsake vice. Looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of the faith, who endured the contradiction of sinners against Himself, the believer will willingly brave contempt and derision. And help and grace sufficient for every circumstances are promised by Him whose word is truth. His everlasting arms encircle the soul that turns to Him for aid. In His care we may rest safely, saying, "What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee." Psalm 56:3. To all who put their trust in Him, God will fulfill His promise. pg. 467

In Rome

God can make the best out of a bad situation.

In this chapter, we find Paul arriving at Rome. There were a few Christians in the area, and the met him upon his arrival to the Italian coast. The Christians requested that Paul stay with them a week, and  this request was granted by the centurion Julius. The soldiers had come to greatly respect Paul, and did everything in their power to accommodate him.

On the eighth day, the prisoners set out to Rome and when they were passing through Appii Forum, about forty miles from Rome. The procession was periodically halted when various believers recognized Paul from his presence at the various towns and cities in which he ministered. The soldiers were a little annoyed at these interruptions, but didn't have the heart to cut them short.

Upon arriving at Rome, Paul was surrendered the captain of the emperor's guard. The positive words of Julius as well as Festus' letter caused Paul to be treated very graciously. Instead of staying in a prison, he was allowed to stay at a house, and although still in chains, he was granted a great deal of freedom.

Paul received many visitors, especially those of the Jewish persuasion, and Paul took this opportunity to share with them the truth regarding his presence there before they could be poisoned by those Jews who hated him so much. The Roman Jews stated that they had not heard anything from these other Jews, and had no bias against him. So, sometime later Paul shared with them the gospel, and how the true knowledge of Christ had led him to be converted.

Paul had been in Rome a long time up to this point with no appearance by his accusers. The malicious designs of those Jews had been so thoroughly thwarted up to this point that they needed quite a bit of time to regroup.  God used this delay to the furtherance of the gospel. For the period of two years Paul was able to receive visitors and send out workers to various places to preach the gospel. E. G. White had this to write about this situation.

Thus, while apparently cut off from active labor, Paul exerted a wider and more lasting influence than if he had been free to travel among the churches as in former years. As a prisoner of the Lord, he had a firmer hold upon the affections of his brethren; and his words, written by one under bonds for the sake of Christ, commanded greater attention and respect than they did when he was personally with them. Not until Paul was removed from them, did the believers realize how heavy were the burdens he had borne in their behalf. Heretofore they had largely excused themselves from responsibility and burden bearing because they lacked his wisdom, tact, and indomitable energy; but now, left in their inexperience to learn the lessons they had shunned, they prized his warnings, counsels, and instructions as they had not prized his personal work. And as they learned of his courage and faith during his long imprisonment they were stimulated to greater fidelity and zeal in the cause of Christ. pg 454

The chapter continues by going into the background of Paul's letter to Philemon, but  I want to stay on this point of how the work was benefited by all the negative circumstances surrounding Paul's Roman experience. We often go through life wondering how anything good can come from the negative circumstances that surround our experience, but we should take this story and let it serve as a reminder that no matter what problems life deals us, God can make the best out of a bad situation.

The Voyage and Shipwreck

We should be ready to witness for God in any situation.

As you may have guessed from the title, this chapter is another one that is full of adventure. E.G.White is sure to let the reader know that travel at that time was no easy matter.

In the first century of the Christian Era traveling by sea was attended with peculiar hardship and peril. Mariners directed their course largely by the position of the sun and stars; and when these did not appear, and there were indications of storm, the owners of vessels were fearful of venturing into the open sea. During a portion of the year, safe navigation was almost impossible. pg. 439

Regardless of those facts, everything was going well. The authorities allowed Paul to have companions on his journey, so Luke and Aristarchus joined him. They traveled a little while, but the winds soon became unfavorable and they were now somewhat stuck at a place called Fair Havens. Paul strongly suggested that they stay there until the travel season opened up, but the majority of the people wanted to go Phenice, which was a nicer place to be. Therefore the ship sailed to Phenice.

They soon encountered severe weather, and after fourteen days of the storm, people were starting to lose heart. Paul earnestly prayed that everyone's life would be spared, and God granted his request.

Taking advantage of a lull in the tempest, Paul stood forth on the deck and, lifting up his voice, said: "Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island." pg. 443

In the following days Paul survived the shipwreck, made it to shore, and even survived being bitten by a poisonous viper. In fact everyone involved survived and did quite well because of Paul.

During the three months that the ship's company remained at Melita, Paul and his fellow laborers improved many opportunities to preach the gospel. In a remarkable manner the Lord wrought through them. For Paul's sake the entire shipwrecked company were treated with great kindness; all their wants were supplied, and upon leaving Melita they were liberally provided with everything needful for their voyage. . . . pg. 446

If I had been in a similar situation, would I have acted and reacted in a similar way? Crises are great opportunities to witness, and they are also great opportunities to be selfish. May our faith be strengthened so that we can have such a positive influence in negative situations.

Delighting in the Law

Psalm 119:17-24 

Gimel

 ¹⁷ Do good to your servant, and I will live;
       I will obey your word.

 ¹⁸ Open my eyes that I may see
        wonderful things in your law.
 ¹⁹ I am a stranger on earth;
       do not hide your commands from me.
 ²⁰ My soul is consumed with longing
       for your laws at all times.
 ²¹ You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed
       and who stray from your commands.
 ²² Remove from me scorn and contempt,
       for I keep your statutes.
 ²³ Though rulers sit together and slander me,
       your servant will meditate on your decrees.
 ²⁴ Your statutes are my delight;
       they are my counselors.

To the converted heart, God's law is a delight, and not a burden.

We are now in the third stanza of Psalm 119 signified by the letter gimel. It's best to think of Psalm 119 as a song with multiple verses. They may say different things but they have a unifying theme; God's law. A key thought in this stanza is the psalmist's delight in God's law. He states that the law has "wonderful things" in it, and that God's statute are his delight. These are not thoughts one would have if they were not moving away from sin and towards God.

The unconverted heart, one that has not taken that first step, will seek to avoid the law both literally and/or figuratively:  literally through the avoidance of reading the Bible, figuratively through rationalizing it away. The unconverted  does not want to be convicted of sin. Using the metaphor of the law as a mirror, it would be like someone with dirt on their face avoiding looking a mirror, denying that the dirt exists, or simply stating that it isn't so bad to have a dirty face.

The converted heart, on the other hand, wants to see that mirror because they desire to be clean. It is a joy to be under God's guidance. The psalmist refers to God's statutes as counselors. Counselors are people who help us make decisions. In this case, they help us make good decisions. The law was not a burden to the psalmist. It was a delight.

Help me Lord to see Your law not as a burden to weigh me down, but as a delight to move me closer to You.

"Almost Thou Persuadest Me"

We shouldn't be afraid to witness to those in a higher social status than ourselves.

In this chapter, Paul was not immediately sent to Rome, and this gave him some time to witness to more people in Caesarea. The most prominent person was King Agrippa II, the last in the line of the Herods ("Herod" is not so much a name as a title much like "Caesar" or "Pharaoh"). Festus told Agrippa about Paul, and the king was interested to see the prisoner. E.G. White paints the picture of the contrast between the king and his prisoner.

In honor of his visitors, Festus had sought to make this an occasion of imposing display. The rich robes of the procurator and his guests, the swords of the soldiers, and the gleaming armor of their commanders, lent brilliancy to the scene. 

And now Paul, still manacled, stood before the assembled company. What a contrast was here presented! Agrippa and Bernice possessed power and position, and because of this they were favored by the world. But they were destitute of the traits of character that God esteems. They were transgressors of His law, corrupt in heart and life. Their course of action was abhorred by heaven. 

The aged prisoner, chained to his soldier guard, had in his appearance nothing that would lead the world to pay him homage. Yet in this man, apparently without friends or wealth or position, and held a prisoner for his faith in the Son of God, all heaven was interested. Angels were his attendants. Had the glory of one of those shining messengers flashed forth, the pomp and pride of royalty would have paled; king and courtiers would have been stricken to the earth, as were the Roman guards at the sepulcher of Christ. pgs. 434, 435

Paul then then took the time to talk about Jesus: His life, death & resurrection. He continued by saying how that he was compelled to witness for Him, and that it was for this reason that the Jews had arrested him.

This got me thinking as to what I would say if I were to have an audience with some of the world leaders of today. Even though many political leaders have done away with much of the pomp and display of the kings of old it can still be an intimidating experience. Yet Paul was not intimidated to the slightest degree. He knew that all of this in reality meant nothing. I think that we need to overcome the concept of seeing people in higher levels differently. I do not mean that we should be rude or impolite, but to simply view people as people regardless of how many times we may have seen them on T.V., magazines, or billboards. If more people would have this attitude that Paul had, the gospel would go out much faster than it is now.

Of course, as in this case, such boldness does not always bear fruit.

Festus, Agrippa, and Bernice might in justice have worn the fetters that bound the apostle. All were guilty of grievous crimes. These offenders had that day heard the offer of salvation through the name of Christ. One, at least, had been almost persuaded to accept the grace and pardon offered. But Agrippa put aside the proffered mercy, refusing to accept the cross of a crucified Redeemer. pg. 438

May we all have holy boldness regardless of the outcome. 

How to Obey

Psalm 119:9-16

Beth

   ⁹ How can a young man keep his way pure?
       By living according to your word.

 ¹⁰ I seek you with all my heart;

       do not let me stray from your commands.

 ¹¹ I have hidden your word in my heart 

       that I might not sin against you.
 ¹² Praise be to you, O LORD;
       teach me your decrees.
 ¹³ With my lips I recount
       all the laws that come from your mouth.
 ¹⁴ I rejoice in following your statutes
       as one rejoices in great riches.
 ¹⁵ I meditate on your precepts
       and consider your ways.
 ¹⁶ I delight in your decrees;
       I will not neglect your word.

We tend to overlook the key element that enables us to obey God's law.

In my previous Psalms post, I stated that this one would talk about how to continue on this journey of keeping God's law. The first three verses of the "Beth" section (Beth is the next letter in the ancient Hebrew alphabet), gives three guidelines. One keeps God's law by: 1) living according to His word, 2) seeking Him with the entire heart, and 3) hiding His word in the heart. You may think that since it's only three steps that obedience is a simple matter of a checklist. Once you complete those three steps, then you're on your way. Sadly, we tend to make things even more difficult then they need to be.

One of the reasons it is so difficult is that we tend to do steps one and three while neglecting number two. We need to seek God with our entire heart. The point of His word, the Bible, is to draw us to Him. Living a righteous life comes as a result of seeking God. Neither the Bible nor living a righteous life are ends in and of themselves.

To seek God with our entire heart we must surrender our will to His will. This must be a consistent, constant surrender. Once we start along this path, we will become increasingly aware of our need to surrender, and the more we surrender the more of our heart is open to Him. I could go into details as to what we need to surrender, but I'm sure we all have an idea as to where each of us needs to begin. Surrendering involves a struggle, but take heart, the more we surrender, the easier surrender becomes.

Paul Appeals to Caesar

Sometimes God's workers get more support from nonbelievers than from the church.

This chapter is relatively short, but there is still some key points to highlight. Festus has replaced Felix as the provincial leader, and the Jewish leaders hoped to take advantage of this situation and tried to convince him to have Paul transported back to Jerusalem. Festus declined their request and said that he was going to Caesarea, and that they should go there as well. This was not what they had in mind.

This was not what the Jews wanted. They had not forgotten their former defeat at Caesarea. In contrast with the calm bearing and forcible arguments of the apostle, their own malignant spirit and baseless accusations would appear in the worst possible light. Again they urged that Paul be brought to Jerusalem for trial, but Festus held firmly to his purpose of giving Paul a fair trial at Caesarea. God in His providence controlled the decision of Festus, that the life of the apostle might be lengthened. pg. 429

After hearing the arguments in Caesarea, Festus determined that it was a matter of Jewish law, so he suggested that Paul be transported under Roman guard back to Jerusalem. Paul knew that there was no way he was going to get a fair trial there, so he exercised his right as a Roman citizen.

In answer to the governor's question, Paul said: "I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. For if I be an offender, or have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar." pg. 430

 Festus was surprised by this request, but after some deliberation granted it. Now comes the sad part.

Thus it was that once more, because of hatred born of bigotry and self-righteousness, a servant of God was driven to turn for protection to the heathen. It was this same hatred that forced the prophet Elijah to flee for succor to the widow of Sarepta; and that forced the heralds of the gospel to turn from the Jews to proclaim their message to the Gentiles. And this hatred the people of God living in this age have yet to meet. Among many of the professing followers of Christ there is the same pride, formalism, and selfishness, the same spirit of oppression, that held so large a place in the Jewish heart. In the future, men claiming to be Christ's representatives will take a course similar to that followed by the priests and rulers in their treatment of Christ and the apostles. In the great crisis through which they are soon to pass, the faithful servants of God will encounter the same hardness of heart, the same cruel determination, the same unyielding hatred. pg. 430, 431

This is doubly sad because of how things went back then, and how things will happen in the future. E.G. White wrote in another place that we will have more to fear from within than from without. She summarizes this chapter by saying,

When the darkness is deepest, the light of a godlike character will shine the brightest. When every other trust fails, then it will be seen who have an abiding trust in Jehovah. And while the enemies of truth are on every side, watching the Lord's servants for evil, God will watch over them for good. He will be to them as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. pg. 432

May we all have godlike characters so that we will be on the right side when the trials come.