THE LORD SPOKE (June 30)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: II Chronicles 19-20

"The battle is not yours, but God's" (II Chron. 20:15). Is that true? How do you know? Does it make a difference? For Jehoshaphat and his army on that day it sure did! He knew he was out-classed and out-gunned. There was no hope of victory using his own resources. If we are really going to have the Lord on our side (or shouldn't it be, if we are going to really be on His side?), what must happen?

• acknowledge your own limitations - "we have no power to face this...we do not know what to do..." (II Chron. 20:12)
• make sure you're fighting the right battle, that it is indeed the Lord's and not your own
• seek a word from the Lord (II Chron. 20:15) - Did you notice? "The Lord spoke." For us, this is not some mystical or charismatic statement. It means going to the Scriptures for guidance.
• do your part - go to the battlefront - show up! - be at the place where confrontation is expected and then expect the Lord to work (II Chron. 20:16)
• take a position, stand firm, and then watch the Lord do what He does best (II Chron. 20:17a)
• don't be afraid and don't get discouraged (II Chron. 20:17b) - Ever notice how often the Bible tells us that? I wonder why?
• keep your face bowed to the ground and your heart lifted up to heaven (II Chron. 20:18)
• start praising the Lord before victory comes (II Chron. 20:21-22)
• enjoy the results (II Chron. 20:25)
• drive in a stake and make it a memory post; tell the story frequently (II Chron. 20:26)
• make sure God gets the glory; capitalize on His greatness (II Chron. 20:29)
• enjoy the peace that passes understanding (II Chron. 20:30)

It really works. Just ask Jehoshaphat.


New Testament: Colossians 3

“Rules for Holy Living”

That’s the title for this chapter in the NIV and how appropriate it is! The opening verses remind us of the strong link between the doctrinal (chapters 1 & 2) and the practical (chapters 3 & 4) aspects of our lives. Starting with “since, then” (equivalent to “therefore”), we’re enjoined to set both our minds and our hearts on spiritual things. Living in the nitty-gritty it’s so easy to get caught up with earthly things. It takes a conscious decision to rise above that.

Right here is where we’re told how to do it. There are two basic steps: “put off” and “put on”. Putting off “our old self with its practices” is further described as “putting to death” and as “ridding yourself” of certain things. Paul even gets a good list started for us. Begin with that list and compile your own. What is it that you need to get rid of? What baggage do you need to cast off? Like Pilgrim in his spiritual progress, what is the burden you need to release at the foot of the Cross?

There is a certain tension here. Yes, you need to trust the Lord to remove that heavy load. But this passage is filled with imperatives. There are several things you must do - and keep doing - to obtain and maintain that kind of walk with the Lord. After detailing that relationship, Paul concludes by saying, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart” (Col. 3:23).

Simply taking things off or getting rid of bad habits and evil practices isn’t enough. They need to be replaced with something positive. We need to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (Col. 3:12). This will bind us together in perfect unity. Do you ever wonder why we don’t have unity? There’s the answer.

It’s when the word of Christ dwells richly in us that we will experience the peace of Christ. There will be at least two evidences that will be publicly visible: thankfulness and a song in our hearts and on our lips (Col. 3:15-17). It that “word of Christ dwelling in us richly” which qualifies us to “teach and admonish one another”.

Don’t you long for that kind of God-honoring experience? Put your heart into it!

THE LORD SPOKE (May 25)

Daily Reflections from Scripture:

Old Testament: I Kings 22

I Kings 22:5 - "First seek the counsel of the Lord."

Jehoshaphat's requirement and personal example of seeking counsel from the Lord has a lot to teach us. It worked in the 9th century BC and it still does today. What principles can we draw from this passage?

1. Be sure of the source of the counsel you are getting (I Ki. 22:6-7). Just because someone says, "I have a word from the Lord", does not make it true. There are many false prophets today too and we must continually evaluate the quality of a person's counsel according to what the Scriptures say.
2. Be careful to not hear just what you want to hear (I Ki. 22:8). Surrounding yourself with "yes-men" will get you in trouble quick. You need honest counselors who will help you discern truth.
3. Do not pay attention to the flashy presentations (I Ki. 22:11-12). It's often the one with the most panache that gets a hearing. We must listen for God's "still small voice" and not let the thunder and lightening distract us.
4. Just because it appears as a majority opinion doesn't make it correct (I Ki. 22:13). When it comes to truth, you don't count noses - you count texts. In our day, spiritual counselors help us to see the correct interpretation and application of Scripture to our problem. Frequently, the "conventional wisdom" is unbiblical and it's wrong to take a vote on what the Bible means. It must be studied out carefully and the biblical arguments marshaled to determine truth.
5. Look for a preacher/counselor who is not afraid to proclaim God's Word, even when it's unpopular (I Ki. 22:14). Being positive or "pc" in our speech is not wrong but there are definite limits to how far it should go. Speaking the truth is even more important than personal relationships (I Ki. 22:20-23).
6. Look at the results: does this counsel bring the right conclusion? did it happen like he said? (See I Ki. 22:25; c.f. I Kings 20:30.) By the way, do you remember what is to be done to the false prophet who's word does not come to pass 100% as stated? See Deuteronomy 13:5! Some modern day "prophets" and unwise counselors should be glad that we live under the New Covenant.
7. A man who has suffered for the truth in the past is worth listening to (I Ki. 22:27-28).

By inspiration, Solomon told us several times that there is "safety in the multitude of counselors" (Prov. 11:14; 15:22; 24:6). Let us always listen to them through the grid of Scripture, but let us listen to them! In fact, follow Jehoshaphat's example and actively seek them out.


New Testament: I Corinthians 12

Multichotomy. Nobody uses the term but it’s an accurate description of the human make-up. Traditionally there have been dichotomists and trichotomists. Those who say man has basically two parts - the spiritual and the physical - are known as “dichotomists” (from Greek for “two” + “cutting”).

Others stress the biblical references to “body, soul, and spirit” (e.g. I Thes. 5:23) and say those are the three basic “parts” of man’s composition. They’re called “trichotomists”. But the problem with this position are the many other biblical references to “parts”, such as the heart, conscience, mind, flesh, and will. Just as the physical body has many parts but functions as a unity, so also the spiritual side of man has many parts, none of which operates individually. They’re all part of the whole.

So, maybe it’s okay to say man is a dichotomy - physical and spiritual. But better yet (because it uses biblical terminology) is the definition of man as “a bipartite unity”. That’s what we find here in I Corinthians 12:12 - “the body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts, and though all its parts are many, they form one body.”

But Paul’s primary topic here is not the human body. Rather, he’s explaining the composition of the church under the figure of “the body of Christ”. Since he’s addressing a local church at Corinth, he’s applying this universal truth to a local situation (I Cor. 12:28). There is both a unity and a diversity of spiritual gifts exercised within the church. God has gifted each one to minister to the whole. None can function independently and the whole is impaired if an individual is missing, hurting, or not able to function as designed.

God didn’t make any mistakes. He has gifted His church with exactly the elements it needs. Diversity is healthy; unity is essential, interdependence is the key.