Job 38-42 (God speaks)

job

After 38 chapters of job and his friends talking, finally God speaks. And what does he say? He doesn't explain to Job why those things had happened to him, he didn't tell Job anything. All God does is remind Job and everyone else concerned who HE is. He reminds them of His character and His power.

We think we need to know all sorts of stuff. We think we need God to tell us all sorts of stuff. What we actually need is to know more of God.

After a few chapters of God reminding everyone how big He is. Job and his friends seem satisfied and humble in response. Whether being commended (Job) or rebuked (friends), the encounter with God has left them all in no doubt who'd in charge and they just do as He asks. When you encounter God, you don't feel like arguing anymore, you just do as He asks!

small churches

interesting article on church size.

"in small churches policy is decided by many, and ministry is done by a few. In large churches ministry is done by many, and policy is decided by a few."

"The smaller church by its nature gives immature, outspoken, opinionated, and broken members far more power over the whole body. Since everyone knows everyone else, when a family or small group of members express strong opposition to the direction set by the pastor and leaders, that small group’s misery can hold the whole congregation hostage. If they threaten to leave, the majority of people will urge the leaders to desist in their project. It is extremely difficult to get complete consensus from a group of 50-150 people about program and direction, especially in today’s diverse, fragmented society. Yet in smaller churches there is an unwritten rule that most everyone must be happy with any new initiative in order for it to be implement. Leaders of small churches must be brave enough to lead and to confront immature members in spite of its unpleasantness. "

love

Ephesians 3:18
I pray that you… …grasp how high and long and wide and deep is the love of Christ

Jesus loves us passionately.
It’s very easy to reduce our faith, our relationship with Him, to a philosophy, a worldview, a system of beliefs, an academic exercise, a culture, a hobby. It’s none of those things, it’s a love affair.

Jesus loves us and pursues us passionately. I am not included in His forgiveness because he died for the human race and I happen to be one of them. He died for ME.

That’s the love that surpasses knowledge (Ephesians 3:19)

ephesians 5

ephesianschapterfive

The husband being the head or leader of the marraige is not a popular idea but, as it says in ephesians, the husband is supposed to be the head of the marraige as Jesus is the head of the church. People tend to straight away think of lazy men bossing women around and expecting their wife to do everything for them, but that is not headship based on Jesus.

Leadership as a husband is not about making all the decisions or being the boss. It's modelled on Jesus who came to serve, not to be served. Its doing everything I can to make sure Lisa can be as close to God as possible (v27). Praying for her, supporting her, encouraging her, doing anything I can to serve her and make her flourish.

job 22-37 (debate round 3)

job

Job's friends and Elihu spend ages talking about how God is so far above us, how He is always right, always just and how dare we presume to know better than Him. That's all correct. So why are they so adamant that Job must have sinned to recieve this "punishment". They don't seem to be able to accept that not everything God does is logical or explainable to us. And we shouldn't expect it to be... but we can be confident that He knows what He is doing!

Ephesians 4

chapterfour

We should make every effort to acheive unity, but unity should not become the ultimate goal. Our ultimate goal is Jesus, and if compromise is needed to acheive unity - following Jesus needs to come first.

I don't want to be someone who is tossed back and forth with any type of teaching. everything needs to be tested against the bible. I can remember not that long ago when I wasn't particularly bothered about biblical authority! The Bible is the bench mark which everything else needs to be held up to.

No "unwholesome talk" should be coming out of my mouth, but not only that, encouragment should be coming out of my mouth. I might not be shanning people out, but I rarely encourage anyone which isn't really good enough.

Job 15-21 (debate round 2)

job

One of the mistakes that Job's friends are making are that they are trying to explain something that they, or Job, can't really understand - why isJob suffering.

When people are suffering and crying out to God asking why, I hope I don't follow Bildad's example and start a theological debate. There are some things we can't explain about why God does or doesn't do something and that's alright. He wouldn't be much of a God if humans could get Him all worked out. We might not understand, but we know He's in control and He knows what's best for us far better than we do.

dry bones

ezekielchapterthirtyseven

The dry bones had no hope, no desire to do anything. The only reason anything happened was because God did something. The only reason they became alive was because God spoke. Ezekiel didn't have to make them come alive, that would have been impossible, he just needed to be faithful to what God asked him to do which was to speak to those bones.

When I look around it sometimes looks hopeless, surrounded by dry bones. And when I look at myself its even worse! I do not need to try harder or find the secret formula that will make the bones come to life. I need to encounter God and hear Him speak. Only He can give life to the bones.

Epehsians 3

ephesianschapterthree

I need to be a servant of the gospel and so I need to work out what that is. Again, like in 2:10 - what are the good works that God has got for me to do?

v10 The purpose is that, through the church, the complicated, many sided wisdom of God in all its variety and innumerable aspects might now be made known. (AMP)

Why does it have to be through the church?! That makes it so much more difficult! The fact is, the many-sided aspects of God can not be revealed just through me and my own personal relationship with Him. Christianity is about community, you can’t be a lone ranger, even though I would like to be! Father, Son and Holy Spirit are in relationship with each other and, if we are not in relationships, then we are missing out on something of God. I want all I can get of God and so unfortunately that means I can’t cut myself off from others. I’ve got to be in the messy world that is living in close community.

v12 tells me that I can approach God with freedom and confidence through what Jesus has done. There's no way an unrighteous sinner like me should be able to confidently and freely approach God. But I can through Jesus.

Paul's priorities when he's praying for the Ephesians are all about their spiritual growth. My prayers shouldn't be so focused on circumstances. Paul certainly wasn't focused on his (prison).

God's love is the most important thing. I need to be rooted in it and understand how big it is. When I take my focus off God's great love for me that was shown by Jesus' death, I've got my priorities wrong

God can do immeasurably more than I can ask or imagine. I need to raise my puny expectations of Him a bit!

Job 3-14 (debate round 1)

job

all four of them talk about how powerful God is and how holy/righteous He is. None of that is disputed. The difference is that his friends claim that Job's suffering must be occuring because of some sin. Job knows that His suffering is being allowed by God, and he doesn't question God's right to do it, he just doesn't understand why, and that's what he's wondering out loud about.

Ephesians 2

ephesianschaptertwo




Without Jesus I am:

• dead in sin
• disobediant
• following the devil
• living for my sinful nature
• an object of God's wrath

Through Jesus I am:

• alive
• saved by grace
• seated with Jesus in the heavenly realms!

v10 - what are the good works God has got for me to do? Why waste my time doing anything else?

v11-22 Reconciliation: Jesus brought it between Jews and Gentiles and can do it between anyone today.

Job 1-2 (prologue)

chapter one

v1 Job is described as:

• blameless - the word used (tam) literally translates as perfect, used to describe the animals without blemish needed for sacrifice. When it's used to describe humans does it actually mean sinless and pefect? because surely thats impossible. either way, obvioulsy Job was a man of integrity in his relationship with God.


• upright - following God's laws


• God fearing - "the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom" (psalm 110:10, proverbs 9:10, proverbs 15:33)


• evil-shunning - again, integrity

v4-5 were job's children party animals? Job's sacrifices were general sacrifices of atonement, not necessarily to do with specific sins, but its obvious that he took his family's relationship with God very seriously.

v20-21 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised."

This is absolutely amazing. He's just lost pretty much everything including his children, he's obviously gutted about it (tearing robes, shaving head) but he worships God. I think I know what God should or shouldn't be doing/giving to me. But God gives and takes away and who am I to think I know better? Why are more of my prayers about God resolving specific situations than about praising Jesus for who He is? This scene shows why God thinks so much of Job in the first place, He is totally loyal.

chapter two

v11-13 I tend to always think of Job's friends as not really good friends because of what happens later in the book but its obvious from this that they do care for him. Sitting in silence with someone for 7 days to share their grief is hardcore.

Ephesians 1

ephesianschapterone

v3-14

Paul basically goes off on one about how mint God is! The foundation for everything we do comes from an understanding of God and His character. That is the motive for all our worship. If that's not the motive we end up burning out or missing out on some of the "spiritual blessings of every kind" that God has in store for us.

I don't need to try harder, or have a clear plan of how to proceed. I just need to know more of God

v15-23

Paul's prayer for the ephesians reflects all the above. He prays that the Ephesians will:

• know Jesus better (v17)
• Know the inheritance/hope we have in Jesus (v18)
• know the power we have through Jesus (v19)
• know that Jesus is God and above any earthly powers (v20-23)

My prayers for people tend to be much more focused on needs/circumstances instead of the emphasis on getting more of a revelation of who Jesus is.

African Children's Choir

It has been an absolute pleasure to have Cissy, Masika and Lydia staying with us for a few days. To see children who are well behaved, happy, thankful and love Jesus has been a big eye-opener for me. Thank you Jesus.

humility

Some times (most of the time for me) we don't get God's simple meesages about humility and so he has to knock us down a peg or two with circumstances...

David - humbled by commiting adultery with Bathsheba
Peter - humbled by denying Jesus 3 times
Paul - humbled by having Jesus kick his butt on the road to damascus

God's humbled me twice now using a pathetic bathroom. Both times, in the midst of DIY disasters, things not going my way and me being totally out of control, God has reminded me that he is the man in charge. Any puny amount of control I think I've got over my life is only what he gives. He can give and take away.

I'm proud about being level headed, calm, patient etc. but I'm none of those things when it comes to the bathroom. Without God I'm helpless. That goes for the bathroom and everywhere else.

2 Corinthians 4

chapter four

4 we need to pray for people that their minds/eyes would be opened where they have been blinded y the "god of this age". we need the veil to be lifted

7 jars of clay/earthen vessels. Again everything we have comes from God and we want it to reflect his Glory, not ours

8-10 why are they not totally defeated even though things sound pretty bad (hard pressed on every side)? Because Jesus died, rose again and lives in us (v10)

15 All things happen so grace can spread and cause thanksgiving and glory to God

17 Light affliction! understatement? not when compared to the eternal reward. Any trouble we can experience is light compared to that.

18 don't look to the temporary, seen things of this world but look at the eternal, unseen things. That's what Paul was doing in v8-10, 17 etc

Weigh the cost of discipleship against the eternal weight of glory being prepared for us and there's no contest.
Don't settle for second best!

2 Corinthians 3

chapter three

5 anything we have comes from God

14-16 we need God to reveal his word to us - remove the veil

17 freedom - everyone's desperate for it. the only place you can find it is with the Spirit of the Lord

18 ever increasing glory, being transformed from glory to glory. mint!

2 Corinthians 2

chapter two

5-11 unforgiveness leaves an opportunity for the devil to gain an advantage over us.

14-15 we are the fragrance of Christ. What do I smell like to other people? Are they associating the Christ's fragrance with a dirty stench because of me?

17 we speak in the sight of God in Christ. So watch what you say!

2 Corinthians 1

chapter one

3-4 God comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. There's no problem where he wont comfort us but its not self indulgent. Like anything we receive form Jesus it's designed to be given back out.

9 they despaired of life, but apparently that was good because it taught them to rely more on God and less on themselves. Help me to react to times of despair by relying more on God.

12 they conducted themselves well but it wasn't down to themselves, it was down to the grace of God. Anything good I do, it's only by the grace of God.

21 we are established in Christ and anointed by God. What a totally undeserved honour.

22 the Holy Spirit has sealed us and is the guarantee of what's to come.

unseen

2 corinthians 4:18
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Its very difficult

wisdom and knowledge

colossians 2:2-4

2My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.

knowledge and wisdom are treasures but they are found in Jesus, not things of the world. In fact the wisdom of God seems like foolishness to us, and thats because we couldn't possibly expect to be able to understand him or have him all worked out with our puny logic.

The attitude of the world says we should flaunt what knowledge we've got and, if not, blag it as if we know what we talking about. I don't want to be too afraid or too proud to admit that I don't know everything, I haven't got everything figured out and I'm just trying to trust Jesus.

what's the point

Colossians1:27
God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

The glorious mystery that I can have Jesus in me, such an amazing gift, should be all the motivation I need. I should look to that instead looking for earthly signs of "progress" to motivate me.

Colossians 1:28-29
28We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

presenting everyone perfect in Christ is a difficult job to say the least. Is a good job that we are struggling with HIS energy, not our own.

turn around

Colossians 1:21-22

21Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation

What a U turn! We were alienated from God, enemies doing evil things. But because Jesus died we are now able to be presented holy, without blemish and free from accusation! Woah there. Absolutely mint! Lord, help me never to forget how much you've done for me.

praying for people

Colossians 1:10-14

10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

What a prayer! What are my prayers for other people like? A lot of the time they are focussed on needs. People's relationship with Jesus is more important than their needs and Paul's prayer for the Colossians certainly reflects that.

fruit

colossians 1:6
All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth.

If I understand and grasp God's grace, how unworthy I am and what he's done for me, then I should automatically be growing and bearing fruit. I'm sorry that a lot of the time I take it for granted.

high places

1 Kings 11

1 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. 2 They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, "You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. 4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 5 He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done.

7 On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. 8 He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.

Solomon decided to compromise and do what the people around him were doing and build high places to worship other gods. Then for years, Kings who were trying to do God's will ignored these high places and left them there.

I might not be building an altar to Molech the detestable god in my back garden, but what are the high places in my life, the areas where I've compromised and copied the people around me?

words vs actions

1 John 3:17-18
If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

I don't want to be someone who talks a good game but doesn't actually do anything.

living for something

"dying for something is easy because it is associated with glory. Living for something is the hard thing. Living for something extends beyond fashion, glory or recognition. We live for what we believe" Blue Like Jazz

Living for Jesus involves being willing to put in the hard yards. Making good decisions about the little things day-in, day-out.

If "we live for what we believe" then it looks like a lot of the time I believe that I am the most important person in the world, because that's who I live for most of the time.

enemy of God

james 4:4
You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

woah there!

the tongue

james 3: 9-12
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

I need to watch what I say in general, but specifically what I say about other people according to this verse. I don't want to curse men who have been made in God's likeness, even though its very easy to do.

the wind

John 3:8
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.

That should make me one of the most unpredictable people around. Is that what I'm like? Listening to the Spirit and following wherever and whenever? Or do I ignore the Spirit and keep doing predictable, comfortable things?

God seem to love operating outside of logic or common sense - so why am I so keen on using those to determine everything I do?

possessions

Phillipians 4:12
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want

"If there is something you own that you can't give away, you don't own it - it owns you" (Albert Schweitzer)

Do I own my possessions or do they own me. I need to learn the secret of being content in all circumstances. In a materialistic culture, I need to keep myself well in check.

arrogance

John 9:34

They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out.

Do I have this attitude? I'm better (or less bad) than you so you can't teach me anything. I need to make sure that isn't how I operate.

?

John 9:1-3

1As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

3"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life".

Was this man specifically born blind so that God's power should be shown? Or was the fact that he had been born blind used by God to show His power?

seeking

it's not necessarily a quick process getting into God's prescence. In the temple, you used to pass through various courts, gates etc before you (or the priest) made it to the place where God's prescence rested.

I try to rush it too often. I need to recognise it as a process and be patient.

Psalm 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.


That's the first part of the process. Instead of just asking god for stuff straight away or anything else like that, it needs to start with thanksgiving and praise. I need to approach God by recognising who He is, what He's done and how much He deserves my worship.

one thing

Luke 10:38-42
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Its easy for me to get distracted. Even good, worthwile things that need doing can sometimes distract us from Jesus. Sometimes its because its more comfortable to be in the kitchen like martha, than it is to be at Jesus feet. His presence is challenging.

"only one thing is needed". It's all about Jesus.

taking a risk

we weren't designed to play safe. Following Jesus isn't supposed to be safe. The life of faith is a life of taking risks.

Hebrews 11 talks about "giants" of faith and they took some serious risks. I want to be living out of my depth, where, if Jesus doesn't come through, I'm going to drown.

jesus had a bad attitude!

The more you get into the teachings of Jesus, the harder it gets to believe how he could ever be described as a good moral teacher. Most of the stuff he said was at least hardcore challenging, if not outright offensive to half his audience at the time. If he turned up now, I'd probably find myself among the people saying he had a bad attitude. He certainly wasn't trying to tell people what they wanted to hear so he could accumulate followers. Take this for example,

"Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple... ...In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." [Matthew 20:25-33]

I wonder how many people left after that speech and how many stayed?
He was either a mental case or the Son of God.

As the Son of God its impossible to try and "work out" Jesus or put him into a nice little box that I can fully understand. Of course I can't fully understand God, it would be like an ant being able to understand how a human thinks, feels, acts.

I need to recognise that otherness of God and rejoice about it, because it God was more like me, the world would be in a right mess!

tears

Acts 20:36-38
[after Paul has said goobye to the ephesians] "When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship."

The situation with Dave leaving was one I hadn't really been in before - everyone crying and saying goodbye - and it reminded me of this passage (except for the fact that we will see Dave again). If that's how people can love each other, how much more can/does God love? Its ridiculous.

Dave has been a great example of someone striving to live like Jesus - he showed love to everyone, he would not compromise on following the word of God, and his integrity was unquestionable. All stuff I need to remember.

now!

I can easily fall into the trap of always looking towards the future. When this has happened, it will be time for me to act. When we've got our church services sorted then it will be time to start evangelism. When the cell group has got to this position then it will be more appropriate for me to start telling people about Jesus than it is now.

The truth is that if we're waiting for the perfect situation before we start doing things, it will never happen.

Jesus said...

Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. (John4:35)

Spreading the message of Jesus is a task to get on with now. I don't need to wait for the structures, procedures, weather to be spot on before I start.

how long?

Why does God sometimes take so long to act? I know that his timing isn't the same as ours and he knows best and all that stuff, but I seem to have that in my mind as - we might have to wait a few days. or maybe a week.

When your in the middle of a long situation its difficult to see past it. I just want Him to act. I suppose it's how David felt...

Psalm 13:1-3
How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.

Sometimes God will act powerfully and turn around a situation. But sometimes he might say - My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor 12:9). I need to be prepared for both.

Sven goes crazy

So Sven has picked Theo Walcott for England's world cup squad. He's 17, never played first team football, he's one of only 4 strikers picked (and 2 of those are currently injured) and Sven has never actually watched him play a match!

Foolish? Maybe, but it makes you think about how God operates in a similar way. I certainly don't look like a good prospect for doing his work on the earth but he's backing me anyway.

1 Corinthians 1:26-29
Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.

It may not be logical or sensible for Sven to pick Theo, it's certainly not logical or sensible for God to want to use me. Fortunately he does it anyway.

undefined

fasten your seatbelts...