Great in the Sight of the Lord—He Will Drink No Wine

BQ:  Did you know that God now describes all Christians under the New Testament as being "a chosen race, a royal priesthood." (1 Pet 2:9) . It's very interesting to note that when God spoke to the priests under the Old Covenant, He said, “Do not drink wine or strong drink...when you come into the tent of meeting...it is a perpetual statute throughout your generations." (Lev 10:9)

How do you think that this foreshadow applies to us as priests today? As a priest under the Old Covenant, showing up to duty inebriated was quite a big no-no. Nowadays, though, drinking is the most socially acceptable vice, yet in Montana alone in 2011, 44% of all traffic fatalities were caused by alcohol. The truth is, indulging overmuch in alcohol has shed enough blood to turn rivers red; it has torn apart families, slaughtered innocents, and is just flat-out hard to shake—yet we still love it. 

I've personally always found it interesting that John the Immerser was described as, "great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit..." (Luke 1:15)

Baptism and the Old Testament: Is It Important?

BQ: The correlations between the Old Testament and New Testament are incredibly beautiful: prophecies became realities, and physical laws became spiritual ones. The Old Testament is chock-full of physical examples that are "our tutor to lead us to Christ." (Gal 3:24) One thing that I find interesting to explore is baptism and circumcision. Lots of people overlook the importance of immersion, but I'd like to look at an interesting correlation between the Old and New Covenants. 

Genesis 17:10-14 describes the use of physical circumcision and its purpose, saying in part, "This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among...shall be circumcised in the flesh...And the uncircumcised male child...shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant" (Genesis 17:10-14)

So, under the New Testament, how does a person enter into the covenant of Christ? God explains circumcision was nothing more than a shadow of the spiritual reality of baptism. :) "In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead."  (Col 2:11-12)




BQ: Yesterday, we started looking at baptism and how it was foreshadowed as being unique and important in the The Old Testament, and we noted that the OT is "our tutor to lead us to Christ." (Gal 3:24)  It's also quite interesting to note that, just a few lines later, God identifies the important of immersion again, saying, "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (Galatians 3:27)

Under the Old Covenant, priests were required to wash themselves with water to be in God's presence.  "When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the Lord, they shall wash with water, lest they die." (Exodus 30:19-20)  Tomorrow we'll look more at being washed! 





BQ: Continuing the look at how washing with water was required in the Old Testament, and is a foreshadow God's implementation of immersion in water, I find it cool that David prayed that God would, "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin." (Psa 51:2)
 

God often uses the concept of "washing" to get rid of uncleanness and sin, and not just in the Old Testament with priests and a laver. In the NT, there is "the washing of regeneration" (Titus 3:5). Saul was commanded by God to, "Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16).

Why is baptism often disregarded? Tomorrow we'll look at more examples of how water was important in the OT, and how it's still considered important by God today.





BQ:  We've seen a lot on how the Old Testament indicated long ago how important water would be, and how God would use it. Today let's look at 1 Pet 3:20-21, where water is described as being important to God both then and now

"...while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."

Notice that God saved through water with Noah, and uses immersion in water today as part of the mechanism of spiritual circumcision. 






BQ: Acts 2:38 tells us that, "Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Often Christians today dismiss baptism as being really not all that important, but we've seen that God used the Old Covenant to indicate that it would be vital.  

It is very interesting that Christians are said to receive the Holy Spirit through immersion in water. Although we're not told why, in the creation account, we see that once again the Spirit was associated with water. "The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." (Gen 1:2) Tomorrow we'll look at a way that this is illustrated in the NT.





BQ: Yesterday we saw an image of water being associated with the Spirit, and of contact with the Spirit being made through burial and subsequent resurrection, so to speak, from a watery grave. Imagine coming out of the waters and coming into contact with the Holy Spirit, much as the Spirit was over the water in Genesis. The same illustration exists in the New Testament:  "Most assuredly, I say unto you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." (John 3:5) 

Although modern theologies have made this seem muddled and unnecessary, we can read the Bible and see that it made perfect sense to the original Christians.  In Acts 8:36, we see a person that says, "See here is water, what hinders me from being baptized?" Why would he want this so bad? The Bible answers this repeatedly, but consider the following:

 "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:3-4).  It's to walk in the newness of life.





BQ: We've seen that God has always associated Himself with water, and has often chosen it to be an "operating table" of sorts to remove uncleanness; in our case, namely sin. Does it seem odd, though, to you? If so, you're not alone. In the old testament, we see an example of water being used by God to make someone clean, and the reaction of the person to be made clean was one of confusion and indignation. Let's look at a section of 2 Kings 5:9-14:

Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.”  But Naaman became furious, and went away and said..."Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 

Much like some Christians today, Naaman rejected that God would possibly use water to cure him of his uncleanness. Luckily for Naaman, he had some people to help him put things in perspective: 

And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 

Sometimes people will tell you, "That doesn't make any sense, that you'd need to be dunked in some water." Don't let the Naamans of the world discourage you, though. Be baptized and made clean. :)
 

Responsibilites of a wife.

I'm starting a study on husbands and wives and their responsibilities. I have a few topics that I'm briefly looking at (not really sure how much I'll post here), but here's how I'm going to approach it; for now we're just looking at the wife: 

Wife's responsibilities:

Excellence

Submission

Respect

Companionship

Maintenance of the home environment 

Husband's responsibilities: 

Leadership

Love

Nourishment 

Cherishment (this word was used as late as 1913)

Excellence:
 

BQ: For today, let's start to look at excellence for the wife.  Her responsibility is to bring glory and honor to her family, and if she does her duty well, she will be a crown to her husband. If she fails, she can really cause some damage! Proverbs 12:4 says, "An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones." 

Speaking of that, even outside of the marriage, the woman is charged with bringing glory to men, just as men are charged with bringing glory to God. "For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man." (I Corinthians 11:7)

While we'll continue on tomorrow, it's important to realize that good marriages really need the husband to see his wife as an incredible blessing from God, and one of the greatest gifts in his life, constantly amazed that he has even been allowed to marry a woman so great. "He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the Lord." (Pro 18:22) 

We'll discuss more on this tomorrow. 





BQ: So we're looking at the responsibilities of a wife, and we're digging into why she needs to be excellent. :) Today we'll look at how to define that more by taking a look at what the opposite of it might be.

To see what "not excellent is," let's look at Pro 9:13-18 in part, where Solomon describes the foolish woman. The woman of folly is boisterous,

She is naive and knows nothing.

She sits at the doorway of her house,

On a seat by the high places of the city,

Calling to those who pass by,

Who are making their paths straight:

Obviously this isn't an excellent wife, but rather a very foolish one. Of note to me is that, lacking excellence, she tries to bring others in with her, and that seems to be pretty common for people who aim low. Talk about lacking discretion. And to REALLY talk about lacking discretion, we can go to Proverbs 11:22, which says, As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout, So is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion."

Looks just don't define an excellent wife. Even if every kiss did begin with Kay, putting one of their rings on a pig wouldn't enhance the pig or make it a better wife.  Likewise, a lady without excellence of character is not going to be enhanced by her physical beauty.





BQ: In defining an excellent woman, we've also looked at what the opposite is. Today we'll see a couple of other quick verses about less-than-awesome wives (and don't worry, these exist for men, too!). 

“It is better to live in a corner of a roof, than in a house shared with a contentious woman.” (Proverbs 21:9)

“It is better to live in a desert land, than with a contentious and vexing woman.” (Proverbs 21:19)

A contentious person is someone who likes to argue. God designed men to be leaders, and for women to help the men be leaders. Men often rely upon women for support, and that's one reason that woman is "the glory of man." 

The natural differences between the sexes can cause issues if not managed wisely, though. A woman may want to return to a problem passively many times, mulling it over in her mind, when the man may have already put it behind him, thinking that decisions were made and that the issue was dealt with. When not expressed healthily, this can leave the husband thinking that his wife is argumentative or nagging, even if it's not truly the case. Instead of pestering, let the decision play out. Often men realized when they've failed and will learn better by having the freedom to fall flat on their faces.





BQ: Proverbs 31:10-31 describes an excellent woman, so go read it, as I'm not posting it all here. I'd like to note a couple of important passages that we sometimes gloss over. In part they are:

"The heart of her husband safely trusts her;

So he will have no lack of gain."

A great relationship is defined by trust, and it's not simply a stagnant one. Instead, it leads to great gain. 

"She considers a field and buys it;From her profits she plants a vineyard...."

Women are to be good stewards of money. Often women are more inclined to go couponing, and when they've found one good deal, to return even it if they find a better one somewhere else. Men are honestly lazy sometimes. We'll go in, grab it if it doesn't seem like highway robbery, and leave—NEVER returning a purchase or spending hours up hours shopping for better deals. Women really help out their husbands by being great with money and wisely making purchasing decisions. 

"Her husband also, and he praises her”

Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,

But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised."

The best definition of a great woman is one who submits to the Lord. In order for a marriage to be truly great, though, the husband needs to make sure he's praising her for all that she is. 

Submission:

BQ: Uh oh...continuing to look at the role of wives, we're coming up to the topic of submission! Sound the alarm! Misogyny! Chauvinism! Sexism! Oh my!  Let's start off with scripture:

"Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.” (Gen 3:16)

"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord." (Col 3:18)

"But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God." (1 Cor 11:3)

Submission complements authority. In order for society to function, we rely on some submission to authority. In the military, I submit to my superiors. However, that does not mean that I can go around breaking laws based off of the requirement that I submit to them. 

The same is true for women and men. The family functions best with the man as the leader, but women are only to submit to them as is fitting in the Lord. If a man wants the wife to do something that God wouldn't do, then that's game over there. But if he is leading her in a Godly direction, it will be naturally fulfilling to submit to that direction, anyway! 





BQ: More on submission. Sometimes people think it's a forced thing, and it's not. We'll look at the negative state of it to pull out a more positive note:

"A continual dripping on a very rainy day And a contentious woman are alike; 16 Whoever restrains her restrains the wind, And grasps oil with his right hand." (Pro 27:15-16) 

A husband cannot MAKE his wife submit, nor should he try to. Instead, his own Godly example should be appealing. His leadership should make her want to follow him, and he should pick a wife who will want to go where he's going—marching onward to Zion!



Respect:

BQ: Wives need to respect their husbands, and husbands need to love their wives. For an awesome lesson on this by Luke Wilson, listen here: http://www.newcreation.us/podcasts/Marriage-Family-Part05.mp3

 "Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband." (Eph 5:33)

Respect is something that we've studied before, and it boils down to valuing something. If you have something that you value highly, you'll think about it often, take care of it, and sing its praises. Imagine owning an Aston Martin (or a...some piece of fine jewelry; I'm not a lady so this is hard for me).  Would you find yourself pointing out its flaws all the time, or treating it like some old beater? Probably not. 

Remember to value and respect your husbands. And listen to that podcast, because Luke says it way better than I can! 



Companionship:

BQ: Wives need to give their husbands companionship. As much as we act tough (and are!), we also have a desire to have a companion. 

In Genesis 2:18-23, God saw that it was not good for man to be alone, and so He created a helper for him. Men are not meant to live lives of isolation, and wives are the solution.

In Titus 2:4-5, older women are told to teach younger women how to "phillio" their husbands, which is a form of love shown between best friends. You'd think that this would come naturally, but apparently sometimes ladies need to be taught this.  "Admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed."

In Acts 20:35, we learn that it is "more blessed to give than to receive."  It is not just what you can get out of marriage that's important, but what you put into it. Giving reflects the Christian attitude of service to others. The husband should bring to the relationship his devotion to his wife, and his wife should give him fully the companionship that he needs.

 


Housekeeping:

BQ: In both Titus 2:4-5 and Proverbs 31, we saw that God appointed women as keepers of the house. This makes sense, as men are usually equipped to be our working and providing for the family. This command is sometimes looked at as being pretty demeaning today, but it isn't. In fact, it's something that women are usually better at. Anyway, read Proverbs 31 again. 

Just as the husband is responsible for the incoming funds on which the family operates, the wife is responsible for managing the outflow of those funds. We saw before that the wife is noted as using the money to buy wisely, and now I'd like to point out that she's also compared to a fleet of merchant ships (Proverbs 31:14). God puts a lot of association between the wife and the smart use of finances.  

  “She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.” (Proverbs 31:27). Wives cook and manage the entire household, (Proverbs 31:15), monitor the finances, (Proverbs 31:18), and make sure that there is extra money to help those in need (Proverbs 31:20). They also make sure that their children are clothed and taught. (Proverbs 31:21-22, 26). 

Lastly, it is noted throughout that the wife has incredible power, as she can set the tone not just for herself, but for the entire household. This is an incredibly weighty assignment, and one that husbands should help in, just as the wives should help the husbands. 

Mini-devotionals on marriage.

Various Thoughts on Marriage

Submitting to a Husband

BQ: In a Bible study I was having with a girl recently (solicited at her request, which made me happy), she mentioned wanting to assemble with the saints, but not wanting to disrespect her husband, as he might not appreciate her doing it. It is true that God tells wives to submit to their husbands (and there is much more that can be said about that in the opposite direction), but should they skip assembly because a husband does not like it?

No. God commands that we submit first to Him in all things. "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord" (Colossians 3:18)."  Ideally the wife will have married a man who is after God's own heart. Regardless of who she has married, she must submit to God over man. PN372

Spiritual Adultery

BQ: God is described as "jealous" at some points. Why is this?

Jealousy can be a vice (Gal 5:9), but it can also be godly (2 Cor 11:2). Throughout the Bible, God is presented as a compassionate spouse. He becomes full of incredibly sadness when His people leave him. "My heart is turned over within Me, all my compassions are kindled" (Hos 11:8).

When jealousy is used in regards to God, it is associated with people worshiping false gods. God has suffered the pain of his spouse repeatedly cheating, and explains in Eze 6:9, "How I have been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from Me, and by their eyes which play the harlot after their idols."  He explains that loving the world instead of Him is adultery. (Jms 4:4)

One interesting reason that God is torn hurt by an adulterous people is because He wants us to come to Him, where there is eternal life. As He says in Jer 2:13, "for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water." God wants dearly for us to partake of living waters; it is incredibly painful when we cheat on Him and desiccate our souls. PN374

Apathy in Marriage?

BQ: If one spouse cheated on the other, and the other spouse was indifferent, would it suggest love? Of course not. Apathy doesn't care.

One aspect of God's desire to be in a covenant relationship with His people is that He does care. God's jealousy not only shows that He cares, but is also often longsuffering. His anger is reluctant. "Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live? Why will you die, O house of Israel?  For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God; so turn, and live.” (Eze 18:23;31-32) 

In the book of Amos, as well as many others, God repeatedly attempts to get His people to return to Him, yet the response is so often, "Yet you have not returned to Me." Sometimes people present God's anger as prideful and arrogant, yet we see that He shows great love, vulnerability, and reluctance to give up on anyone. God is the ultimate forgiver.  PN375

Bringing Happiness to a Wife

BQ: Marriages in America so often fail. What interesting command did God give newlywed Israelites, and how does it apply to marriages today?

"When a man has taken a wife, he shall not go out to war or be charged with any business; he shall be free at home one year, and bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken" (Deuteronomy 24:5).

God recognized the importance of spouses devoting time to one another and building bonds that would last a lifetime, to the point that soldiers were released from duty to accomplish it. Today newly-married couples often don't devote extra time to their marriages, instead allocating it to the worries of the world just as they had before it was married. This leads to problems down the road. 

It's important to grow spiritually together and to bring each other great happiness. Grow deep roots while there is a chance. :) PN376

Had a Marriage Fail?

  BQ: Have you ever had a marriage fail? Has it made you feel like a failure or like you're not worth much? 

One thing I need to point out: if you've had this happen but you've been putting God first, great things can come of it, and it does NOT mean that you're a failure. God discusses the worst of hardships, and look at what He says:

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written,“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us." (Romans 8:31;35-37)

Look at that horrible list, and yet to God, that's a sign of an overwhelming conqueror. Being cheated on by the person you trust most in this physical life is certainly one of the worst tribulations, but it's no reason to think that you're a failure. In fact, it might be a sign that you're an overwhelming conqueror! 

 And to top it all off, "We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God." (Rom 8:28) Sing and be happy, overwhelming conqueror! We're in this together, and with the best ally ever on our side!  PN377

Preparing Children for Marriage

BQ: The rate at which marriages fail in America these days is quite saddening. One reason they fail is inadequate preparation and instruction of one or both of the spouses during their childhoods.  God thought it was important, saying, "The older women likewise...admonish the young women to love their husbands." (Titus 2:3)

This applies to men as well. Inadequately prepared children later on become adults and then fail to succeed in marriage. When two people grow up with parents who fall flat in regards to loving one another, this inadequate preparation tends to flow to the next generation. 

We need to make a concerted effort to educate our children on love. These days most people are too busy working to give much focus on teaching their kids. In Deut 6:6, God indicated that it's best to spend a great deal of time teaching children: "You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up." PN378

Marriage and the Actions of Men

BQ: In a marriage, how should a husband treat a wife? Modern society has warped the inherent biologic differences of men and women, to the point that some consider it offensive that one would even say that there are differences at all. It's all about who a person "feels" they are.  Feelings are never a basis for truth, and this attitude can lead to the failure of relationships. 

Why can it lead to failure? When I worked in the oil field, none of our crews had any women on them. Recently, the Marines had to revise rules allowing women to serve, since more than half of the female marines couldn't do three pull-ups. Women and men are biologically different and serve different roles, yet they're both important. 

In regards to the above, God says this, "Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered." (1 Pet 3:7) If we really want our relationships to succeed, we need to focus on fulfilling our respective roles, and men need to step up to the plate and be men. A large part of that is showing understand and honor to our wives and realizing how beautiful and valuable they are. Failing to do that damages not only our physical relationships, but our relationship with God. PN379

Loving Your Wife

BQ:  How much should a man love his wife, and how should a wife respond? Let's look at two aspects.

1.) Husbands should love and care for their wives as they do for their own bodies. Wives should respect their loving husbands: 

 "So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Eph 5:28-29;33)"

2.) Beyond even the above, husbands need to love their wives sacrificially, being willing to give even their lives for them: "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her. (Eph 5:25)"

It's important that a potential husband will take his responsibility to love and care for his wife seriously, and it's important that brides make sure that their potential husband will model their marriage after Christ's relationship with the church.  That sort of love is ultimately respectable. PN380

Look But Don’t Touch?

BQ: My dad has long maintained that it's ok to "look as long as you don't touch," and even has a "three-second rule," where he says when you're taking your wife/girlfriend on a date, it's ok to stare at another woman for three straight seconds if she's attractive. A lot of husbands take this approach. Is it ok?

No, and Jesus clarified, saying, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Mt 5:27-28)

Marital infidelity does not spontaneously spring up physically. A husband doesn't walk down the street and suddenly find himself fornicating. Rather, it begins in the mind through mental conditioning. It's a slippery slope that leads to the physical, so it needs to be put away at all costs. If you play with fire, you'll get burned. (Pro 6:27) And of course the same goes for wives.  PN381

Rash Wedding Vows

BQ: "Until death do us part" has taken on the meaning of, "Until I find someone that tickles my fancy." Lots of people get divorced and then remarry because they "love the new person more."  I've heard one person say that the first woman he married just wasn't his soul mate, but he still considered himself a follower of Christ after divorcing her for someone he 'fell for.' What does God say about making vows?

"It is a snare for a man to devote rashly something as holy, And afterward to reconsider his vows; When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools." (Pro 20:25; Eccl 5:4-5)

God takes the vows we make with incredible seriousness. He considers those in Christ (the church) to be married to Christ.  Imagine if He took the same casual view of marriage and decided to dump us because we weren't interesting enough anymore! 

Marriage is very serious and should be taken that way. Although the world considers divorce a casual standard, we cannot. PN382

Suitable Helpmate

BQ: During creation, God said 7 times, "It is good." One time He said, "It is not good," and that was because man was alone without a companion. What is the companion for man described as?

There's so much meaning in this verse: "Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will for him a suitable helpmate.” (Gen 2:18)

When I think about who I want to marry, I realize that I'm looking for someone who completes the puzzle that is me. Ultimately, I'm looking for my mate to help me in my life's mission. Since my primary mission is spiritual, my "suitable helpmate" must also be spiritually focused if she's going to fit in to my puzzle. I want my completed puzzle to resemble a picture of Christ, not the world. 

We get to choose what our puzzle ends up looking like, and the spouse we choose helps complete that picture. What picture are you aiming for? What is a "suitable helpmate" to you? PN383

An Inadequate Puzzle

BQ: Yesterday we saw that woman was designed to be an suitable helpmate for man.  In many ways this is akin to matching two pieces of a puzzle together. In selecting the puzzle piece to fit with us, we need to choose wisely. Please consider the following: 

"Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it." (Psalms 127:1)

I have seen so many people, including myself, try and build a house by focusing on the worldly side of things and picking partners who aren't spiritually sound. There is the temptation to say, "He/she makes me emotionally happy, so it's good enough!" It's like building a house on the side of a volcano and saying, "But every day the view is just STUNNING!" 

Overcoming this tendency is hard. For some reason we look at the world, see the poor state of it, and think that we should re-prioritize and put "spiritual health" of the people we're considering being involved with as one of the less-vital things to consider. 

When you're dating, how high on the list is being a spiritual leader? Are you really putting God first? Tomorrow we'll consider the importance of good fathers and how it impacts children. PN384

Stats on the Importance of Strong Christian Men

  BQ:  Today I'd like to focus on if it's important for women to select strong, spiritual husbands.

I knew one girl who dated a guy who called himself a Christian but certainly made no attempts to be at all like Christ. When I asked her if she thought it was a wise choice, she replied, "I can handle it!" Maybe, but what about your kids? Below are some statistics from government studies which show how important it is to choose husbands who are strong, spiritual leaders: 

If mother and father attend assembly/"church" regularly:

33% of their children will end up attending church regularly

25% of their children will end up not attending at all

If mother attends church regularly. Father does not attend church at all:

2% of their children will end up attending church regularly

60% of their children will end up not attending at all

If father attends church regularly. Mother does not attend church at all:

44% of their children will end up attending church regularly

34% of their children will end up not attending at all

If the mother is the first to become a Christian in a household, there is a 17% probability that everyone in the household will follow. 

If the father is the first to become a Christian in a household, there is a 93% probability that everyone in the household will follow. 

As you can see, it's important to pick a strong husband. Often Christians pick poor mates because they're picking impatiently and with spirituality being one of the lowest-ranking criteria. This sets up a tough future for the family. As 1 Cor 15:33 says, "Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” PN385

The Nature of Men

BQ: Today I'd like to explore the differences between men and women. Genesis 1:27 says, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." Gender, we see, is at the spiritual level. 

If we look at the record of creation, we'll notice that man was somewhat wild at heart, and in fact, man was created OUTSIDE of the garden of Eden, and then placed into the garden by God. The good men throughout the Bible had a desire to fight a battle, to succeed spiritually, and starting with the first man, there was a desire to have a female companion.

When God created Eve, she was greatly desired by Adam, and in good relationships, that needs to be present. Husbands should not forget that their wives want to loved and desired, that in fact they were created to help complete man. Husbands should also remember that women want to feel that they are worth being sought after, defended, and importantly, that their lives are worth sharing in. 

Based on the desires that were latent in the creation of men and women, women need to know that they're beautiful and worth being sought after for their capabilities, and men need to know that they are strong, competent leaders for their families. PN386

Hidden Love

BQ: A lady once told me about the person she was courting, "I love him, but I just don't feel like he truly loves me in return." This is a common problem in many relationships, especially marriages that are past the honeymoon stage, and it can  be an absolute killer.  God knew the gravity of such a situation and said, "Better is open rebuke than hidden love." (Proverbs 27:5)

It has been said that there are five love languages: words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, acts of service, and physical touch. Get to know what makes your spouse feel most loved and make certain to love as a verb every day. Don't keep your love hidden, lest it seem to fade away. PN387

Shall Become One

BQ: Gen 2:23-24 says, "She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh."

When marriages fail, it's because at least one spouse does not see him/herself as being part of one flesh. Marriage beings with a commitment and is sustained by discipline.  One of my friends once said, "If a relationship begins with just sparks, it might end with sparks." It's a lot more work to stay in love than to "fall in love," because one is feelings that change, and the others are consistent, persistent actions—otherwise known as a form of work. 

If you're married, focus on maintaining your marriage and building each other up spiritually. If something is valuable,  it's better to perform preventative maintenance along the way than to wait until it falls apart and then try to salvage it. Remember, it's not just the other spouse at risk—God sees you as one flesh. PN388

A Selfless Relationship

BQ: Luke 6:35 says, "But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High."

One aspect missing from many marriages is that of selflessness. Relationships can't be 50/50—they need to be 100/100, with each partner giving it all they have. Watch your expectations, that you don't let them ruin your appreciation. 

My friend Luke Wilson told me that there are four important four minute periods: the first four minutes in the morning, the last four minutes before work, the first four minutes after work, and the last four minutes before sleep. Some of those moments can be tired and make you want to be grumpy, but try to uplift your spouse and keep him/her encouraged. Things run a lot smoother with a little oil.  And if your spouse is stressed or grumpy, be loving anyway, and remember Luke 6:35. PN389

You Can Change You

BQ: Often marriages encounter times where one spouse is unhappy for any of a multitude of reasons, and the reaction is negativity and bitterness. The following is not always applicable, but it can help at times:

"Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye." (Matthew 7:1-5 in part)

Often a way to engender kind feelings is to take the approach of, "The problem with us is me."  The thing is, you cannot force your spouse to change, but it's easy to change yourself. Regardless of the outcome, taking the selfless, introspective, approach will lead to spiritual growth and integrity, and there is nothing more satisfying and healing than that. It is the best possible outcome. PN390

Child of Wrath

BQ: In a marriage, selfishness leads to bitterness and resentment, and is utterly opposed to appreciation. Have you ever felt those feelings toward your spouse while knowing that they were not deserved? What is this a symptom of?

The answer is in Ephesians 2:3, "Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest."

The solution to being a child of wrath is to put on the new self, and to completely get rid of that old man who is struggling to come back. Instead,  follow Jesus' example, who washed the feet of even Judas, his betrayer. Remember that, "it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." (Gal 2:20) Whether or not someone changes is binary: yes or no. If we behave as Christ, we can always say confidently that we gave it our best effort.  For me, at least, I'm able to sleep soundly as long as I can say that. PN391

Communication in Marriage

 BQ: In marriages, communication is worth its weight in gold. Not only that, but it's one of the most highly emphasized things in the Bible. Look at God's example of the Tower of Babel: simply by creating poor communication, God was able to terminate itt. On the other hand, Christ began His church with precise communication on the day of Pentecost. 

When you're considering your marriage, consider how important it is to communicate with your spouse. Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." We have the power to create beautiful, vibrant growth in our marriages simply through good, loving communication. Let's do it! PN392

Let Him Hear

BQ: In Matthew 11:15, Jesus said, ""He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Since our relationship as a church with Christ is a marriage relationship, consider the implications of those words as applied to your own marriage. According to Brecheen and Faulkner, couples spend only 27 minutes a week in focused conversation. Think about that. Roughly 3.8 minutes per day are spent in focus conversation.

It is no surprise that marriages that marriages can struggle in such environments. Consider again what Jesus said. It is well known that the best communicators are excellent listeners, and they listen to everything that someone else has to say, not just a tidbit here and there. If you don't spend much time in focused conversation with your spouse, you won't really know who they are. Prioritize learning about your spouse and becoming a solid team. PN393

Words Will Never Hurt Me?

 BQ: There is a popular saying that isn't true, though the intent is good. It goes, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."  I talked to a man once after I heard him screaming at his fiance. "Yeah, he told me, I got a little miffed, but those were just words and they don't mean nuthin'."

The truth is, damaging words can be very hurtful. It can take far, far longer for emotional damage to heal than for our physical bodies. Remember that God says, "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Mt 12:37) Words aren't "nuthin'," they are the lifeblood that keeps relationships alive, and poison in them courses straight to the heart of a relationship and damages it. Not only that, but angry words damage our relationship with Jesus. PN394

Response to Those Who Caused Pain

BQ: Sometimes divorces happen when one spouse cheats on another. Sometimes the cheating spouse can be downright mean and villainous, often in an attempt to justify their evil behavior. It can be tempting for the (former) spouse who has been betrayed to feel anger and bitterness over lost time, deceit, and many other things, and sometimes he or she might express that through negative, angry, bitter language directed at the cheater. What does God say about such things? 

Ultimately, the bitter, angry attitude, when coupled with such words, is an attempt to take vengeance on the person who is demonstrably in the wrong, but God tells us, "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)  God says this because He wants us to heal, and that's accomplished through the following set of actions found in Phil 3:14-16:

"But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Move on and start healing! PN395

Why are young people leaving the church?

BQ: It's pretty spiritually depressing where I am if you don't have some real gumption. One of the elders in a congregation here told me, "None of the young men from boot camp ever have the follow through to assemble. They're lazy. They just don't show up."

I had to take him to task a bit on what he said. Here, the congregation hires a man with a PhD to do everything for them, because they see this man as the absolute leader, who can do all to support them and teach them as they sit back and receive...doing nothing. Yet God says, "What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, EACH ONE has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification." (1 Cor 14:26)

This attitude of needing a man to serve us as we do nothing is abominable, especially seeing as Acts 4:13 says, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus."

We don't need to hold PhDs to accomplish the will of Christ. While the elder here bemoaned the lack of young men, the church these days is largely like a baseball team where everyone except the preacher is permanently assigned to the bench: observing, but not out there winning the game. If we're not involved, then EACH ONE of us doesn't really help out, and of course we'll fall away! Would you stick with a team that assigned you to permanent bench warming? Of course not! Let's change that and knock it out of the ballpark. Let's get involved!


Note: I'm currently in southern Mississippi and I'm 26 years of age. Since I've started assembling, many young immersed people have moved in, but I'm the only one who has started assembling, much to the dismay (which is expressed as annoyance) of the elders. 

I think of it like this: 

"Every week our team has a game where the one superstar plays and the rest of us just watch and keep the seats warm! I don't know why the young bench warmers don't bother showing up after 20 years of doing that. They must be lazy." 

I'm still baffled that we've reached this point in many assemblies, where one guy does everything. Basically a clergy/laity split, and it will continue to erode us.  It's closer to Old Testament in makeup than New, and it's entirely unproductive, destructive, and wrong.

Enjoying your spouse.

BQ: I'm thinking about doing some more stuff on marriage since I'm SOOOOO close to getting married.  

We've often covered the importance of putting the spirituality first, so don't throw that to the wind. Still, when getting to know a lady, it's important for the man to ask, "Is this a relationship that I enjoy?" Sometimes, deep down, the answer is "no." Maybe it's too full of drama and turmoil, or maybe the personalities just don't match quite right so, while there is some attraction, there's not too much enjoyment. 

This really goes both ways, but God tells men to, "Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun." (Eccl 9:9) Before getting into a relationship for life, it's important to make sure that it will not only be edifying, but enjoyable.

Three Points for Healthy Relationships

Marriages depend on love, commitment, and discipline. Love these days, though, is often thrown about with little regard. It's come to mean, "yeah, I like you a lot," but it's often taken away in the blink of an eye for various reasons. Maybe something nicer looking comes along, or the person wants to do some damage as "punishment" for some wrong, real or not. 

With that in mind, I'd like to look at some verses and apply to them to marriage, dating, etc. Basically, this is a mini-study that I've for me to correct some of my own aberrant behavior. I hope it's helpful to you, too. Let's look at 3 points that I need to work on. 



1: Consistency is Key:


Starting off, let's look at Luke 7:24-27.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

Apply this to a relationship. God is called the, "Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadows." In our relationship with God, there is an INCREDIBLY solid foundation. Unlike sand, there is NOTHING to shift around and cause us to sink or break apart, but everything to provide the firmest foundation.

When getting a relationship started (and continuing it), it's incredibly important to be consistent and without variation. People fear the unknown, and variation puts all sorts of unknown variables into the equation, which in turn makes the relationship one with an underlying miasma of fear.

Personally, I need to work on being more consistent. I've gotten better, but I can still be somewhat inconsistent. As a man, I need to be solid, strong, and courageous, with persistence and patience. A family and marriage will need a solid foundation, and I need to provide that.

Ladies are designed as "suitable helpmates" (Gen 2:18) for men.  I think of it like a puzzle. Some pieces will fit together, but not very well. In order for the puzzle to link together and really stay in place, the complementary pieces need to be hooked together. If one or both pieces are somehow changing shape and having variation, like shifting sand, it's going to be very hard for that puzzle to stay together. As suitable helpmates, women can offer great reassurance to man by being stable and consistent.





2: Tears Don't Mean Failure

It's tempting to look at a relationship and say, "Man, this is a lot of work."  Sometimes relationships drive us to cry, and our effort seems fruitless. However, tears coming from working to make a relationship work don't mean failure. In fact, in our relationship with Christ, we go out to others showing love for them, and it can be painful. Psalms 126:6 says,

"He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed,

Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him."

Our society encourages a throwaway mentality, but if you're in a relationship, don't throw it away. Stick with it through the tears, all the way to the end. The loudest shouts of joy often come when we overcome the most!





3: Do You Love Like Christ?

I used to throw people away when stuff didn't work. "Well I'm not going to date you anymore, so kindly stay 100% out of my life," was pretty much my attitude. However, I'm a Christian, which means that I am like Christ. Indeed, I say that I have the mind of Christ, which means that I can't be like that. Why not?

I often use the "l" word, but not "love" like America sees it. These days, it's serious business to me. I love everyone, and in dating or relationships, it's the same. Sometimes things MIGHT not work out; sometimes for a little bit, and sometimes permanently. But that doesn't change how I'm going to act. 

Here's why:

"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom 8:38-39)

I want to be like Christ, and that means I want my love to be like Christ. Just because something goes wrong doesn't mean that I'll let it separate my love from the person. Love transcends my desires and is replaced by Christ's. If you really love someone, you won't give up on them. You might be forced into a different type of relationship with them emotionally, but spiritually you'll still love them, be there for them, and seek to help them maximize their potential in Christ. That's what love is. It doesn't stop just because it's hurt or upset. It sees damage and wants to heal, it seems pitfalls and wants to help avoid, and it endures forever. It is the greatest thing we can offer. 

The Heart, the Center of Life

This is a broad topic that I'll call, "At the Core, it's the Heart." It will answer the question, "What are characteristics of the heart?"  Can you name some?

1st, your heart should be carefully guarded:
 

Watch over your heart with all diligence,

For from it flow the springs of life. (Pr 4:23)

We have to be careful with our hearts, because having damage to them damages one's entire life. 

2nd, your heart determines your character: 

For as he thinks within himself, so he is.

He says to you, “Eat and drink!”

But his heart is not with you. (Pr 23:7)

Kind words don't matter if not backed up by action. In being careful with our hearts, we also have to observe the actions of others that proclaim to have desire for us. Especially in romance, people can get stuck in abusive cycles by listening to the words of the abuser and not the actions. 

3rd, it is the source of defilement when not cleaned:

"But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man."(Mt 15:18)

This is basically the same as the next one, but the heart is our character. If it's harboring some oily, dark problems, expect them to be manifested in our lives. But if it's pure and upright, expect to see it shining no matter what.

4th, it controls your speech: 

"The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart." (Lu 6:45)

Ever had someone hurt you with words on purpose? Evil words are just that: evil. They don't spring up out of nowhere, but rather flow from the heart. It's fine to be honest, but it's not fine to seek to do damage to someone else. Ever. Satan's the enemy here. 

5th, it is the source of belief:

"for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." (Rom 10:10)

This one is important. We can go through every nice action in the world, but if our heart does not have conviction, there is no belief, and it's all for naught. It's the same in ANY relationship. If your heart isn't in it, it's going to be hollow; a facade filled with nothing. No happy memories, nothing. 

6th, it can be a deceitful thing:

“The heart is more deceitful than all else

And is desperately sick;

Who can understand it?" (Jer 17:9)

Man, this one always hits home. For me, it's in relationships. I used to be drawn to people that I knew weren't good, but I said, "Hey, that's love for you! Can't help what my heart loves." How wrong I was. The heart can be incredibly deceitful, and we need to rely instead on the mind of Christ. (1 Cor 2:16)

7th, it can be stricken by failing to obtain something desired:

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

But desire fulfilled is a tree of life." (Pro 13:12)

Here's a good quote to sum this up: "Delay in the accomplishment of some much-desired goal occasions sinking of the spirits and despondence; but, when the object of longing is obtained, it is a tree of life."  

This is the same in our love relationships with Christ and with our marriage partners. If we delay being immersed and receiving the Holy Spirit, we often encounter needless heartsickness, because we leave a hole in our lives. The same thing can be said of a man not going for his suitable helpmate. 

8th, a broken heart is a true form of illness that affects even the strongest person:

So the king said to me, “Why is your face sad though you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart. Then I was very much afraid.” (Neh 2:2) 

A sad heart is the hardest wound to heal. 


9th, hearts can be broken, but they can also be healed and strengthened:

Reproach has broken my heart and I am so sick.

And I looked for sympathy, but there was none,

And for comforters, but I found none. (Psa 69:20) 

"For it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace." (Heb 13:9)


Luckily, God can heal any damage to us, including to our hearts, and he can strengthen us beyond our comprehension! :)

What is Manliness?

MANLINESS 


BQ: What sort of thing does God consider to be manly? This seemed like a fun topic, so off we go! I'll just run through some examples. 

Manliness in the OT times was often seen in battle against ungodly enemies, and it was always marked by being "strong and courageous."  Below are some examples:

"Now when Joab saw that the battle was set against him in front and in the rear, he selected from all the choice men of Israel, and arrayed them against the Arameans. But the remainder of the people he placed in the hand of Abishai his brother, and he arrayed them against the sons of Ammon.  He said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the sons of Ammon are too strong for you, then I will come to help you. Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the Lord do what is good in His sight.”  (2 Sam 10:9-12)

“I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man." (1 Kg 2:2)

Tomorrow: what's manly these days?

BQ: So we saw that manliness in the Old Testament times involved fighting physical enemies and being strong against them. What's manliness according to God in our day and age?

"You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." (2 Tim 2:1)

"Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong." (1 Cor 16:13)

Manliness, we see, now comes from doing spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6 describes the importance of putting on the full ARMOR of God, because we need to be soldiers. Men especially need to be leaders of the charge and not quiet pushovers! 

Characteristics of Married Love

BQ: Love in marriage is essential. This is kind of a one-off sort of BQ, but I was looking at some things that married love did in the Bible, or how it was described. It's kinda pleasant to share.

Married love brings comfort even after the death of a loved one: 
"Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her; thus Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death."  Gen 24:67 

Married love makes time seem to go by faster and better: 
"So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her." (Ge 29:20)* (Or the sort of love that will lead to a marriage, in this case, but it remained the same, so I'm including it!)

Married love cannot be replaced by all the riches in the world: 
“Many waters cannot quench love,

Nor will rivers overflow it;

If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love,

It would be utterly despised.” (Song 8:7)

Spiritual Hearing Checkup: How to Tell If You're Deaf

BQ: Spiritual deafness is mentioned often throughout the Bible, and it's a lot worse than being physically deaf. I got this ball rolling for myself by reading some verses mentioned spiritual deafness, so I'll start off by relaying some of them to you.

Eze 12:2 “Son of man, you live in the midst of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house."

Zec 7:11 "But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing."

2 Ti 4:4 "and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths."

These all seem bad, and we can look at them and say, "Yep, I've met the world before and it really sucks!"  However, these verses are always referring to people that are allegedly followers of God, so we need to be very careful that they're not describing us. More tomorrow.






BQ: Yay! Spiritual deafness is what we're still looking at. Yesterday we saw that people who claim to be Christians can be very spiritually deaf.  Can a person truly think that they're a good-to-go, good-doing Christian and still be...ya know...in spiritual danger? 

The answer is LOW ALTITUDE ALERT, CHRISTIAN, CHECK YOUR SPIRITUAL ALTITUDE IMMEDIATELY!, to use some air traffic control phraseology. This was an issue in the Old Testament times, which we see with Eccl 5:1 "Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil."

But humans, being humans, haven't really changed, and the threat still exists in our times. Matthew 7:22-23 explains, saying, "Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’" 

So how can you know that you're not spiritually deaf, since some people think that their hearing is fine, but isn't? We'll learn more tomorrow.





BQ: So how can you tell if your spiritual hearing is doing well? Luke 8:15 has part of the answer! "But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance."

Well it looks like bearing fruit is how we tell that we're hearing well, but what exactly is bearing fruit? Think about it...but don't think about too hard. When a plant bears fruit, the fruit becomes another plant just like it. A real raspberry bush will make more raspberry bushes. Same for an apple tree. So a true Christian will bear...more true Christians. :)

Mark 4 makes this a little clearer, once again pointing out the value of hearing:  And He was saying to them, “A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand? For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” And He was saying to them, “Take heed how you hear." 

It's incredibly important to spread the word and focus on making new Christians! Don't be deluded and dull of hearing, be a loving, listening, productive person!

Satan's Serious Business!

BQ: Today many Christians take sin and Satan pretty lightly? Are you one of them? I used to be, but it began to occur to me that maybe it's a little bit more serious than I'd thought.  Why?  Here's a good example of when Michael the archangel was having a conflict with Satan:

"But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”" (Jude 1:9)

Notice that even Michael, a very powerful angel, understood that Satan was a supernatural and powerful evil, and not something to be taken lightly. I've heard people today make some pretty snide remarks about the devil, but it's important to realize that we simply can't take on Satan one-on-one and win. We have to have the Lord firmly on our side, and we have to realize that it's Christ's strength that's empowering us in the battle.  If even Michael treats Satan with great caution, shouldn't we do the same? Or as Barclay said, "If the greatest of good angels refused to speak evil of the greatest of evil angels, even in circumstances like that, then surely no human being may speak evil of any angel." 









BQ: We're looking more at the supernatural strength of supernatural evil, or Satan, and why we should sometimes take it more seriously than it is. I suppose the connection in my mind is that of casual sin (or sin that we want to keep around and pretend is ok) and Satan. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us that we should, "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

A roaring lion honestly isn't something that any of us would probably want to tussle with mano a mano.  Even Michael the archangel showed great caution around Satan and turned to the Lord and not his own strength when dealing with Satan. Gen 4:7 connects with the above noting that, "I you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

Satan's power comes through sin, so this evil that even Michael took very soberly...is sometimes something that we don't take seriously. It can be the little sin that we want that leads to a bigger one. In a marriage, it might be a husband hanging out once or twice with a female coworker in a group environment, then enjoying that, then in a more intimate setting, and on and on until adultery occurs. The thing is, Satan is a clear and present danger, but he's a master of deception, too. More tomorrow.






BQ: We've been looking into the seriousness of Satan, and thus sin. Today we're going to look at 2 Pet 2, starting in verse 9, emphasis mine:  "The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment,  and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority.

Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord.  But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed,  suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong."  Jude 8 confirms saying, "Yet in the same way these men, also by dreaming, defile the flesh, and reject authority, and revile angelic majesties."

Satan is the most powerful of the fallen angels. Do the above verses make him seem like a being to be trifled with? Like he's just a chump? No way! Instead, he's a massively powerful being, and even angels don't revile him! I also can't help but notice that people that don't take him seriously are mentioned as "indulging the flesh" and "having no knowledge."  This can absolutely apply to us if we're not careful!






BQ: In looking at how we should treat Satan, we need to look at how Jesus treated him, too. Matthew 4:1-4 has a little bit of this:

"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.  And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”  But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”

Notice that even Jesus did not take Satan lightly, but instead was prepared with the Word of God in defense. Jesus actually had preparation for dealing with Satan. He took it seriously and wasn't flippant, and instead used the Word as a familiar weapon.  Can you use the Word in your defense when you're weak?  If Jesus and the angels all take Satan and his angels seriously and soberly, we need to, too. Satan and sin are just aren't things to be taken lightly! :)
 

Things to appreciate in Christian dating.

BQ: Because I'm a youngish single man, I'm always fairly interested in finding an awesome, Christian wife. One thing I've noticed, though, is that often Christian girls are like, "Yep, Christian dude, yawn," whereas non-Christian girls appreciate me a ton. Why might this be?

I think that Daniel starts with part of the answer in 12:3, "Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever." I'm not exactly full of insight, but I'm able to parrot what God says in the Bible, and I think that makes me shine a little brighter to some people in the world.

Luke 6:36-50 recounts a similar-ish thing, and in part it says, "“There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”"

People who are the most in the dark at times appreciate the light far more than those who are wandering around in broad daylight. And I'm not saying that I'm the light, but I do at least try and have my lantern shining, so maybe people are at least attracted to that! It's certainly an odd position for a young, Christian guy to be in. :)

BQ: As a single Christian, there are opportunities to date people who are also Christian. I try and always be mindful of how God views me, since my marriage to Christ comes first. If you're a Christian, what vibe do you give off?
 

I've seen some Christians that I wouldn't date because they fit into the mold of the sons of Gad and Reuben in Num 32:6, which says, "But Moses said to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben, “Shall your brothers go to war while you yourselves sit here?" Often people will realize that they're kind of lazy and try to cloak it with nice words as Jehu did when he said, " “Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord.” (2 Kings 10:16)

If you're a real Christian, you probably want to see some real Christian attributes, and not just words. Why? 1 Thess 3:7 nails it: "In all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith."  If your partner is faithful to God, you'll always have a reason for comfort! 
 

Being on fire for God.

BQ: Some people, when you see them, are obviously on fire for God. For a long time now I've wanted to marry someone like that, because it's honestly the most beautiful attribute that someone can have. With that said, instead of doing a traditional (for me) Q/A type post, I'd like to make the next couple dedicated to the sort of passion that I find gorgeous. I hope these passages describe me, you, and I hope they'll describe my future wife.  Enjoy! [Day 1] :
 

"My heart was hot within me,

While I was musing the fire burned;

Then I spoke with my tongue!" (Ps 39:3) 

Thoughts: I particularly like this verse because of how it ends: then I spoke with my tongue. It's a gorgeous thing when people become so lit up that they make it known!
 

"But if I say, “I will not remember Him

Or speak anymore in His name,”

Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire

Shut up in my bones;

And I am weary of holding it in,

And I cannot endure it." (Jer 20:9)

Thoughts: And this verse I love because in some ways it fits me very well. Sometimes I CAN'T shut up! I can't keep it locked inside! I have to return and speak up. When there is opportunity, it is difficult to NOT take it. :)





BQ: Day 2 of looking at verses about fiery passion! 

Jesus said the following, it describes exactly what I'm searching for when I look for friends while I'm here on this earth:

"I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled!" (Luke 12:49) This reminds me of when I'm having Bible studies and I see a spark start to develop! The urge to see it burst into flame is just about overpowering! How I wish it were already kindled. :)

"They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?" (Luke 24:32) Don't you feel like this when you see the Word? You should! There was a time when I didn't, and man, those were the bad old days. I hope I never go back. :)

Playing games when you're dating.

BQ: In budding relationships, people sometimes try and pit one person against another to make themselves seem more valuable. What does God say about this?

A: "Wrath is fierce and anger is a flood, But who can stand before jealousy?" (Pro 27:4) If you check it out, Proverbs 6 mentions jealousy in the same manner, except it's associated with adultery. 

Jealousy in relationships is very unhealthy when it's created to manipulate someone, and it's considered even worse than anger and wrath. Don't use it as a tool or try to "play the game." Why begin a relationship with someone that's associated with failed marriages? Be open, honest, and loving instead.
 

Slipping back into bad habits.

BQ: What do you do if you're around those still captive to Satan and they're busy engaging in things that are evil? It's often tempting for us to think, "Man, I've got this. I won't stoop to that level," but what advice does God give us?

A: "A prudent man sees evil and hides himself, The naive proceed and pay the penalty. (Pro 27:12) 1 Cor 15:33 says the same, "Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals."

When we lead ourselves to believe that we're impervious to spiritual danger, we only expose ourselves as being naive. Instead of choosing bad company, choose to hang around with those who will make you stronger!




BQ:  There's a book by Dr. Seuss called, "Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now?"  It has lines like, "The time has come, the time is now, Marvin K. Mooney will you please go now?" God has a similar plea to us throughout the Bible. People always want to delay putting off worldliness, yet God always  asks that we do it soon! Why? Because,

"Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." (James 4:13-14)

Putting off changing assumes that we'll always have time to change in the future, but we don't know which moment will be the last future moment for us. Old, dead sinner, will you please go now? 







BQ:  Sometimes people become Christians and then decide that they can indulge in some bad habits, especially if they're not "too bad," as long as they don't go back into sinning "hardcore."  How does God feel about this? 

A: "But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?" (Gal 4:9)

When we start that downhill slide, it's showing a desire to be enslaved again by Satan, so it's critical to not even step foot on that slippery slope. 






BQ: As a Christian, it's important to not return to worldliness. God's chosen people, the Israelites, repeatedly did this in the Old Testament, leading God to say such things as, "You too have done evil, even more than your forefathers; for behold, you are each one walking according to the stubbornness of his own evil heart, without listening to Me." (Jer 16:12)

Often when we return to worldliness, it's a sign of our own stubbornness, which is a shame, because we could be stubborn for God as opposed to against Him. God always reminds us to avoid evil, and He explains that going back to the world after finding Him is a chancy thing to do.  "For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first."  (2 Pet 2:20) When you play with fire, it's easy to get burned. The "oh duh, Lucas," solution is not to play with fire at all!





BQ:  We've looked at slipping back into worldliness, and 2 Tim 3:13 is actually very much related to this sort of topic. It says, "But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." 

At first glance, this is only talking about evil men and fakes, right? The thing is, when we claim to be Christian, yet act like the world, what exactly does that make us? Yep! Fakes. Impostors. We end up both deceiving and being deceived, instead of edifying others and being edified. God ends up describing this sort of person as one whose "silver has become dross," whose "drink diluted with water." (Is 1:22)  

We all need to be very careful to avoid being cheap imitations of the real thing! 

Angels: what do they look like, and what do they do?

BQ: What are angels? It seems like people are always pretty fascinated by them, and a friend of mine recently discussed them with me, so I decided to do some reading on angels. :) This'll be a series and hopefully it won't be too sterile, but instead of asking questions, we'll just start off with that question up front and address it in small chunks. Also, please note that people do NOT become angels... :P

First, angels are primarily messengers. Both the Hebrew and Greek words mean the same. The Greek is angelos, meaning "a messenger," which is itself taken from angello, "to deliver a message." This is born out by their function in Hebrews 2:2, which says,  "For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward..." 

So the first thing we can quickly identify about angels is that they're called messengers and have been known to be exactly that! 







BQ: What are angels—named! The next thing we can see about angels is they number beyond counting. Hebrews 12:22 says, "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels." Rev 5:11 backs this up saying, "Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands."

Interestingly, and adding to their mystique, is that out of the vast lot of them, we know the names of only three. The first is of course Satan, who is a fallen angel, and the others are:

Michael (Jude 1:9) "But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

Gabriel (Luke 1:19) "The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news."







BQ: What are angels—Jesus! I wouldn't usually do this, but we're going to hit some weighty material quickly here. A couple of times, an angel is mentioned who refuses to identify Himself. Genesis 32:29 records, "Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.”And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there."  This happened after Jacob wrestled with the Angel all night.

In Judges 13:17-18, the same Angel of Jehovah is recorded. Then Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord, “What is Your name, that when Your words come to pass we may honor You?” And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask My name, seeing it is (wonderful) incomprehensible?”

There are several important things to note about the above Angel of Jehovah.. Earlier in Judges 13:11, when Manoah asked if "the man" was the same one who had earlier appeared to his wife, the angel responded simply, "I AM." This is exactly how Jesus would respond to ID Himself. (Jn 8:58, Mk 14:62, etc.)

Next, this Angel refers to Himself as "Wonderful."  This word is also used in Is 9:6 as a prophecy of Jesus.  "For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."

All evidence points to this one messenger being Jesus pre-incarnate. 

BQ: What are angels—created, spiritual beings! Angels, like us, were created. (1) Unlike man, however, they are in some ways ranker higher than us, being purely spiritual, (2) but at the same time, they are also considered to be ministering spirits to us. (3) For what it's worth, they also don't marry, and in heaven, we won't be married, either. (4)

(1) "Praise Him, all His angels...For He commanded and they were created." (Psa 148:2-5)

(2) "What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels." (Psa 8:4-5)

(3) "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?" (Heb 1:14)

(4) "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven." (Mt 22:30)






BQ: What are angels—capable of spinning! Yep, angels are capable of sinning (1), and some are associated with Satan (2), but others are called elect and holy (3). 
 

(1) "For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment." (2 Pet 2:4)

(2) "And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought." (Rev 12:7; see also Mt 25:41)

(3) "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory." (Mt 25:31)





 

BQ: What are angels—mighty, but limited! Check out the following:

"And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels." (2 Thess 1:7) "Whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord." (2 Pt 2:11)

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only." (Mt 24:36) "...the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into." (1 Pt 1:12)

Angels, we can see, are incredibly powerful, but also still very much limited.  Something I like is that they're apparently pretty curious about things, wanting to look into stuff and see what's up! 

BQ: What are angels—having rank and fighting for God! Yesterday we saw that angels are capable of warring, and a while ago we saw that they ministered to the needs of those who will be with God...so today we'll see that angels are active in world events, and also that they have their own ranking of sorts.  At the same time, angels REFUSE to be worshiped and consider themselves fellow servants with us. 

"But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia."  (Dan 10:13) 

"But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” (Jude 1:9)

"And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!" 

Angels do minister and help us in serving God, but they also wage war in ways that we don't understand. Pretty cool! 







BQ: What are angels—what do they look like? There is a common conception that they're people with wings, but when wings are mentioned, it appears more bizarre than anything else, and it seems to be symbolic of speed. Let's look at various forms that these messengers of God take. Oh yeah, and we'll look at two names of creatures that seem to be a type of angel.
 

There are both seraphim (“burning,” Is 6:1-3) and cherubim (“holding fast” Eze 10:5). Revelation, a book filled with symbolic language, records an angel with wings. And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!” (Rev 8:13)

They are mentioned having two wings. "For the cherubim spread their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles." (1 Kng 8:7)

They are mentioned having four faces and four wings. "I knew they were cherubim. Each one had four faces and each one four wings, and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings." (Eze 10:21)

Some seraphim are mentioned as having six wings.  "Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew." (Is 6:2)

The above are always mentioned in dreams or visions, so it seems that the wings are symbolic and not literal. 

 

BQ: What are angels—looking like man, too!  Sometimes angels can look like humans, and we may encounter them in our lives, even testing us.

"Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and was seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me one having the appearance of a man." (Dan 8:15)

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it." (Heb 13:2)

Angels, we can see, don't always have to have wings, and in fact they apparently have a plethora of different tasks to accomplish, and take on forms suited to those tasks. Tomorrow we'll look at some more forms that they've been known to take.







BQ: What are angels—more on how they look! Angels can also appear to be shining (1), terrifying (2), or just flat-out weird (3). 

(1) "And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments." (Lk 24:4)

(2) "An angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid." (Also check out Jdgs 13:6; Mt 28:2-4)

(3) "Within it there were figures resembling four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human form. Each of them had four faces and four wings.  Their legs were straight and their feet were like a calf’s hoof, and they gleamed like burnished bronze.  Under their wings on their four sides were human hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them,  their wings touched one another; their faces did not turn when they moved, each went straight forward." (Eze 1:5-9)






BQ: What do angels do—they deliver messages! Angels are seen to deliver messages. This should be abundantly clear and not a revelation, so I'm going to mostly skip it. 

"Now the angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur." Here, in Gen 16, starting in verse 7, an angel gives Hagar a message/instruction from God.

In Acts 27:23-24, an angel similarly appears to Paul. "For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me,  saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.’"

For what it's worth, angels also explain visions to people. See Daniel 8 and 9 for more info on that. It's long, so I'm not posting it.







BQ: What do angels do—they work to help us! We've seen that they're minister spirits, but they also did things such as:

1.  Feeding Elijah in the wilderness. "Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.” (1 Kngs 19:5)

2.   Protecting Daniel from lions. "My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me." (Dan 6:22)

3.   Delivering Hezekiah from the Assyrians.  "Then the angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand." (Is 37:36)

4.    Freeing Peter from prison. (Just read Acts 12.)

I'm not posting every example, but it should become clear that angels are often present to help people in the Bible.  It's worth noting that the term "guardian angel" is not really wrong, since angels do guard people, but the Bible never mentions any static, 1:1 ratio of a specific angel to a specific person. Instead, angels usually go unnamed and are often mentioned in the plural. The closest thing to this is seen in Mt 18:10: “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven."





BQ: What do angels do—they carry out judgement! As much as angels help people, they're also around to carry out judgement for God. I'm not going to post all the verses, but I'll give a couple and you can look some up for yourself. :)
 

 1.  A cherubim kept man out of the garden of Eden with a flaming sword!  (Gn 3:24)

 2.   Two angels destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. "...for we are about to destroy this place, because their outcry has become so great before the Lord that the Lord has sent us to destroy it.” (Gn 19:12-15)

 3.   An angel walloped  Jerusalem with a nasty plague. (I Chr 21:15-16)

 4.   And in the future, angels will separate the righteous from the wicked!  "And the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels."(Mt 13:30, 39)





BQ: What do angels do—they watch!  Angels are described as roaming the earth , observing what's going on, and standing guard. Since the language is highly symbolic, I'm personally not sure of the exact meaning. There are a few passages that describe this, but I'll only present two.

"I saw at night, and behold, a man was riding on a red horse, and he was standing among the myrtle trees which were in the ravine, with red, sorrel and white horses behind him. Then I said, “My lord, what are these?” And the angel who was speaking with me said to me, “I will show you what these are.” And the man who was standing among the myrtle trees answered and said, “These are those whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth.” So they answered the angel of the Lord who was standing among the myrtle trees and said, “We have patrolled the earth, and behold, all the earth is peaceful and quiet.” (Zech 1:8-11)

“Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise." (Dan 12:1)






BQ: What do angels do—they help out but aren't always seen! Today I'll present text from 2 Kings 6:13-18 and let you do with it what you will. The main point is that angels don't have to be seen to be very much active. It's not something that I think we quite understand, but then again, describing the spiritual in terms of the physical is a difficult task. 
 

"So he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and take him.” And it was told him, saying, “Behold, he is in Dothan.” He sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.

Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”  So he answered, “Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” And the Lord opened the servant’s eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.  When they came down to him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Strike this people with blindness, I pray.” So He struck them with blindness according to the word of Elisha." 

BQ: What do angels do—they connect people searching for the truth with people who will present it to them!  This is perhaps one of my favorite things that angels are noted to do.

"Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert." (Acts 8:26)

Also check out Acts 10 for an angel helping Cornelius with the same thing. :)






BQ: What do angels do—they rejoice over our salvation! This'll be the last look at angels. :) Before we leave, I should point out that angels are only ever mentioned in the masculine form of the original word, for whatever that's worth. 

Anyway, angels are very important, even if we don't fully understand them. They are fellow servants, and they're around as ministering spirits. One awesome thing is that they, too, truly care.  "Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”  (Lk 15:10) We should have that same joy. 

A look at alcohol use and social drinking.

BQ: I've been studying drinking alcohol in the Bible and how it's viewed. So right off the bat, does God ever condone drinking alcohol?

The answer is, "yes." 1 Tim 5:23 points out that it was used for medicinal purposes back in the day, saying, "No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities."  

Notice that even here, where alcohol was approved, that only a "little wine" was called for. Tomorrow: how about a lot?



BQ: So what if we want to have a LOT of alcohol to liven things up? What does God say about that? (Hint: humanity has a big problem with this, so there're a lot of passages dealing with it, and I won't spend 15 pages on this one topic!)

A: First a brief look at the Old Testament: Isa 5:22; 28:7 "Woe to men mighty at drinking wine, Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink." "But they also have erred through wine, And through intoxicating drink are out of the way."

"No priest shall drink wine when he enters the inner court." (Eze 44:21; if you're familiar with types and anti-types and who priests are today, this should be noteworthy.)
 

"Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaints? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine." (Pro 23:29-30)

Meanwhile, in the New Testament, Romans 13:13, Galatians 5:21, and many other places say things like, "drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

Drunkenness, we can see, has never been something of which God has approved, and the practice of it prevents us from being a part of the Kingdom. 




BQ: Today we'll look at how the Bible makes comparisons between being sober and being drunk. 

"Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.  For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation." (1 Thess 5:6-8)

"Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy." (Rom 13:13)

In the above passages, God makes clear the divide between being drunk and being sober. If we're drunk, we can't even put our spiritual armor on. If we want to be children of light, we can't indulge in drunkenness.




BQ:  Yesterday we saw that God made a comparison between those who are drunk and those who aren't. Why is it important to have the spiritual armor on all the time, and what other comparison does God make? 

A: "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (1 Pet 5:8) God also warns us, "And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit." (Eph 5:18)

If you're out getting drunk with your friends, you spiritual armor is off, and Satan is more than capable of seeing the opportunity to lay you low. Not only that, God says that drunkenness is opposed to the Spirit. We can be filled with either alcohol or the Holy Spirit, but not both. Which would you choose? Do you keep your armor on?




BQ: In looking at drinking, we have to look at social drinking, especially, as it's brought up quite a few times in the Bible. As Christians, we've seen that we need to be watchful for ourselves, since Satan is roaring around, and we need to wear our armor, but there's more—we need to avoid drunkenness so that we can help others. 
 

1 Pet 4:3 shows some of the problems associated with alcohol: "For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry." 

For a long time, humans have enjoyed social drinking, and there are almost always piles of problems that go with that. In my own high school we had people dying and getting pregnant from a little "loosening up." While it can be tempting to go out partying every now and then, God warns us to, " nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak."  (Rom 14:21)

If social drinking is something you've really enjoyed, realize that it's time to put it in the past and move on to the things of light! 




BQ: Yesterday we saw that drinking is something that we need to keep in the past, that it leads to bad things, and quite importantly, that it reduces a Christian's influence for Christ. Today I've been looking at how shepherds in the assemblies are told to be above reproach so that they can be more effective leaders, and I thought it was very interesting that they and their wives are told:

"Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not near to wine, not greedy for money;  Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things." (1 Tim 3:8;11) 

It is interesting to note that the original Greek uses wording in 1 Tim that includes "nephalion" and "me paroinos." While I'm not using this as a topic for a word study, these words mean "not near [as in associated with] wine," and "abstinent from wine." Being associated with wine could be something like being an evangelist and having pictures of yourself on facebook at a bar with a alcohol in your hand. Even if you didn't get drunk, it inhibits your ability to be above reproach, which decreases your ability to reach people spiritually. 



BQ: Yesterday we saw that spiritual leaders need to avoid being associated with alcohol use, but why exactly, is that?

"Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."  (1 Pet 1:13) Here the words "nephontes" and "teleios" are employed, which combined mean to be "completely sober." 

If we choose to be completely sober, we'll  always be ready for action, we'll always be fully equipped with our armor, and we'll be filled with the Spirit, who aids us in battle. If we choose not to be sober, the opposite is true. 




BQ: For a last look at drunkenness, we'll consider that it can be tempting to say that we're going out drinking in order to have an opportunity to evangelize. What does God say about this?

 1 Cor 15:33-34 "Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame."

God, knowing how we are, addresses this very situation. Choosing to involve ourselves in drinking to "win" people merely loses ourselves and is a continuation of sin. It's hard to win people when we start fitting the mold of Isaiah 19:14, "As a drunken man staggers in his vomit." 

Instead of being like that, let's aim to "be blameless; sober minded; not near to wine." (1 Tim 3:2) It's better to be out winning souls than winning beer pong! 

What is respect?

BQ: I'm looking into the word "respect"  and what it means in the Bible. This study has been considerably more tricky than others, and I think it's because we've really muddled what "respect" means. So with that said, let's take a look at respect as found in the Bible and as found in common English.

In common English, respect means to, "admire (someone or something) deeply, as a result of their abilities, qualities, or achievements." In the Bible, as it turns out, respect can be translated from several different words, such as "apoblepo," which means to "look away from all else." This means that when someone respects something, they value it highly; to the exclusion of considering other things, even.  However, that version of respect is rarely used, and when it is used, it is in regard to the eternal. Can you spot where "respect" is used in this sentence, from Heb 11:26?  "Considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward."

When the word that we pair most closely with "respect" is used, it's not used in reference to people, but to the eternal riches of Christ. Tomorrow we'll start looking at a far more prevalent idea of "respect" that God wants us to use in out interactions with others, and we'll see how important God's version of respect is.





BQ: Yesterday we saw that respect means to look away from all else in order to give full attention to something, and that this is used in giving value to our eternal lives. When we say that we "respect" someone, what word does God use for that, and what does it mean?

A: The word that is most commonly used is actually to "honor" someone. It primarily comes from the words "timao" and "time," and carries the meanings, "a valuing; a price paid or received; to value something at cost." We have a hard time identifying the word honor/respect because it is to us quite strangely used, and translators often massage sentences to make the words fit in better to our understanding. Consider that the word for "honor/respect" is used here, "For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." (1 Cor 6:20)

If you read Matt. 27:6,9; Acts 4:34; 5:2,3; 7:16,  Acts 19:19; 1 Cor 7:23, 1 Pet 2:7, and many other verses, you'll see the word "price" used, because respecting someone is all about OUR values.  We'll look more at respecting people tomorrow. 




BQ: We've seen that respecting someone is equivalent to honoring them, and that the meaning is always associated with putting a value/price on something. Today we'll look at this word "honor/respect" being used in more accessible forms. Let's consider the following verses:

"The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching." (1 Tim 5:17)

" You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered." (1 Pet 3:7)

"Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mt 19:19)

Honoring someone is respecting someone, which, as it turns out, is valuing them. If we say that we have no respect for a person, we effectively say that they have no value; they are worthless; they carry no price and are not worth "looking away from [something else] to set one's gaze upon." 

Do you respect people? Do you look for value even when at first it seems not to be present? That's something that I need to work on, and we'll see why tomorrow.




BQ:  I have a problem, sometimes, with respecting people, because some part of me tries to quickly say that someone flawed is not worth much, which is the same as not being respectable. What does God say about flawed people and respect?

"...And those members of the body which we deem less respectable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked." (1 Cor 12:23-24)

Sometimes I've seen new (or old!) people in the assembly with flaws and thought, "They're not really worth that much. I don't see them up there doing much. Bet they still have struggles with drinkin' and such. Might as well smack 'em upside the head with a fryin' pan." My problem was that I didn't value them as God valued them.  Eisenhower scolded a general for speaking of a soldier as "just a private," telling him that, "The private is the man who wins the war." This is exactly what God is pointing to in 1 Cor 12. When we quit valuing those who are just learning how to fight, we don't show them respect nor honor, and yet without them, we'd be alone. 

Do you respect those around you? How about the new ones, the ones fresh out of boot camp? These people need us to value them even more than others, and we should do so to encourage them and to please God!  When a relationship is just starting out, VALUE IT EVEN MORE! 
 

What is self-control?

BQ: Moving on in looking at the fruits of the Spirit, I've taken a shine to self-control. I am a whole lot better with self-control than I used to be, but it took a lot of learning things the hard way to convince me that learning the easy way is preferable. What is self-control? 

A: Nothing too tricky this time. Most definitions agree that the original words carried the meaning of, "having power over, mastering, curbing, restraining." So what is self-control all about? Paul used the analogy of an athlete to help us understand, saying, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable." (1 Cor 9:24-25)

Sometimes we follow our desires down dark alleys rather than Christ's beautifully-lit path, indulging in any number of things—drinking, fornicating, or even just being mean. If we do, there's simply no way to say that we're like the athletes that Paul describes, who run for an eternal victory. 

Are you running with self-control?
 

BQ:  Sometimes, as Christians, we forget to examine ourselves, or we make light of our flaws. It can be easy to say that some of the fruits of the Spirit aren't all that important, or to say, "Well, I have ENOUGH of this attribute to get by, I 'spose." What warning does Paul give us?

A: 1 Cor 9:26 "So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." 

Sometimes we get preachy to others without examining ourselves very accurately, and it's really easy to do this where self-control is concerned, since we can kind of make it a gray area and say, "Well, I have a DECENT amount of self-control...ish." I don't sleep around...too much...just when I slip up. I don't get drunk...often. I'm above reproach...sometimes. 

As Christians, we need to hold ourselves to a high standard, to aim to be above reproach at all times, lest, as Paul says, we find ourselves disqualified.

BQ: I've been using 1 Cor 9 to look at self-control, where Paul relates self-control to athletes competing for a prize. There are two main focuses of self-control. One, and the one that is most often focused on, is refraining from doing what we know we shouldn't do. That's a good goal. What's the other aspect?

A: The other aspect of self-control is one I like better. Instead of refraining from doing what we shouldn't, it's making ourselves do what we know we should do, and aiming to be the best in it. 1 Cor 9:24 says, "24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win." 

If you're looking to exhibit more self-control in your life, don't just look to NOT DO bad things—aim to be the best in doing the best things. Matthew 22:37says it best: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." Don't aim for "not bad." Aim for "always great." 

BQ: What does God say that we are without self-control?

A: "A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls." (Proverbs 25:28) In ancient times, cities had walls as a first line of defense against enemies. Our adversary is Satan, and if we decide that self-control isn't that important, we're just like that city—totally undefended and pretty much useless.  Don't be a smashed up city—have some self-control!
 

BQ: As Christians, we must have self-control. What do we need to have control over? (BTW, Thayer's notes that "under control" denotes "making something a slave." Keep this in mind.)

A: This stuff's obvious, but it's important to review. Firstly, we need to restrain our bodies.  "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions(Rom 6:12).  “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything" (1 Cor 6:12).

The concept of enslavement is pretty important. We really have two options: enslave our own bodies to do our will, or be enslaved/controlled by our lusts, and thus out of control ourselves. 
 

BQ: Today's the last day we'll spend on self-control. Yay, I know, FINALLY Necessary is done! :P The Bible differentiates the results of self-control and a lack of it. What does it specify?

A: Well, the bad stuff is mostly summed up in Gal 5:19-21: "Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these."

The opposing front which we should be more interested in is, "Finally, brethren, whatever is TRUE, whatever is HONORABLE, whatever is RIGHT, whatever is PURE, whatever is LOVABLE and GRACIOUS, whatever is COMMENDABLE, if there is any EXCELLENCE and if anything WORTHY OF PRAISE, dwell on these things." (Phil 4:8)

It's easy to assess your self-control by looking at what you dwell on. If you're envious, drunk, thinking about some rivalry, etc., you're doin' it wrong. Choose some excellence instead. It'll make your life way better!