Tag Archives: Activist God

Sunday Morning Bible Study: 1 Kings 3:3-15

Posted on December 5, 2010 by Clark Goble| Leave a comment
By Clark Goble | December 5, 2010

1 Kings 3:3-5 3 Solomon showed his love for the LORD by walking according to the instructions given him by his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places. 4 The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”

It is interesting to note how much Solomon loved God. The Hebrew word (ahab) translated as love in the above passage is first used in the Book of Genesis to illustrate the close bond between Abraham and his son Isaac. Solomon is closely bonded to God. Despite this bond, Solomon is not perfect. The passage reveals that he often worshiped God in the “high places.” These places were open-air sanctuaries that the Canaanites used to worship their pagan gods before the Israelites took control over the land. God was adamant that the Hebrews should worship Him in a different manner; so much so that He gave His people explicit instructions to destroy all of the high places (Deuteronomy 12: 1-4). Solomon’s love for God hadn’t prevented pagan worship practices from infiltrating his worship. This is often the case in the current Christian church when good-hearted believers inadvertently incorporate outside influences into their worship practices and beliefs.

Why is it that a God who knows everything would ask Solomon to verbalize what it is he needs? Perhaps it is a test. God is wanting to see if Solomon will ask for something selfish or for something that is according to the will of God. While God knows what Solomon desperately needs, perhaps Solomon himself doesn’t understand it until he is forced to verbalize it.

6 Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day. 7 “Now, LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. 8 Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”

Solomon is rewarded for his devotion to God. Just as Cain’s offering to God was rejected because of the state of his heart, Solomon’s is accepted. By coming to Solomon in a dream, God is confirming that the king’s heart is in the right place. When Solomon reveals that he is just a “little child,” he is humbling himself before the Lord. This king, who was called wise by his earthly father David, is acknowledging that he is not prepared to rule God’s people. Within Solomons request, we discover the two components that make up wisdom:

  1. A heart obedient to the will of God.
  2. The ability to discern good from evil.

10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. 11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. 13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both wealth and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. 14 And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”

God was so pleased with Solomon’s humble and selfless request that He went above and beyond in His response. The one condition was Solomon’s obedience. This passage reveals what so many other passages within Scriptures reveal – God often equates obedience with love.  If you are unable or unwilling to be obedient to God, it is very likely that you do not love Him as you should.

15 Then Solomon awoke—and he realized it had been a dream. He returned to Jerusalem, stood before the ark of the Lord’s covenant and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then he gave a feast for all his court.

Solomon’s dream is immediately followed by action! Immediately the king travels to Jerusalem and stands before the ark of the Lord. He worships God with two kinds of offerings: burnt offerings that expiate the sins of the Hebrew people and fellowship (peace) offerings that praise God for all He has done for the people and specifically for Solomon.

Conclusion

We must ask ourselves if we have a heart like Solomon’s. Do we desire wisdom. Do we want to discern between the good and the evil in our lives? Are we willing to humble ourselves before the Lord and admit that we are just “little children”? Are we willing to be obedient to God rather than our sinful selves? As Christians we must check the status of our hearts!

Sources

Dr. Constable’s Expository Notes
Explore the Bible Quick Source Leader Guide (Winter 2010-11) by Lifeway
Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible

----> Clark Goble is a disciple of Christ, a husband, father, student, and writer. He welcomes your comments and encourages you to leave one here or email him at cdgobleATgmail.com. You can follow his twitter updates at http://twitter.com/#!/CDGoble
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Are We Really Speaking the Truth in Love?

Posted on August 9, 2010 by Clark Goble| Leave a comment
By Clark Goble | August 9, 2010

Are we really speaking the truth in love?

It appears that most Christians are familiar with Paul’s direction to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). Unfortunately, we often misconstrue these words as license to say whatever we want to whomever we want whenever we want. Regardless of how callous and insensitive our words are, we justify it by saying we are “speaking the truth in love.”

Is this really what Paul had in mind? Was Paul suggesting that it is okay to hurt someone’s feelings because we’re convinced we are correct? As often is the case when we take small snippets of Scripture out of context, Paul’s words seem to be misapplied by many of us. A deeper study of Scripture is required for us to truly understand what Paul is (and is not) saying here.

The first question that we need to ask ourselves is what “truth” Paul is speaking of. For many of us, we use his words to justify arguing with one another over trivial misunderstandings. It is important for us to realize that Paul was speaking about doctrine in Ephesians 4:15. In the verses proceeding verse 15, Paul writes that “once we are mature in our faith and knowledge of Christ, we will no longer be like little children tossed about by the winds and waves of false teachings contrived by the cleverness and cunning of deceit” (Ephesians 4:13-14 paraphrased). Paul is writing about our training into the works of Christ’s ministry (Ephesians 4:12). Some of us are called to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers (verse 11), but all of us have a responsibility to be fully trained so that we may speak the “truth” [concerning Christ] in love so we may grow to be more Christ-like and assume our roles as properly functioning members of the Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:16).

In his commentary, Matthew Henry writes, “The best method we can take to fortify ourselves against such [false doctrine] is to study the sacred oracles [Scripture], and to pray for the illumination and grace of the Spirit of Christ, that we may know the truth as it is in Jesus, and be established in it. That we should speak the truth in love, or follow the truth in love, or be sincere in love to our fellow-Christians. While we adhere to the doctrine of Christ, which is the truth, we should live in love one with another. Love is an excellent thing; but we must be careful to preserve truth together with it. Truth is an excellent thing; yet it is requisite that we speak it in love, and not in contention. These two should go together – truth and peace.”

For us to rip the words “truth in love” out of its context and apply it to every disagreement we have with others is to misapply Paul’s words. We should always speak the truth in love when it concerns the Gospel of Christ as taught by the apostles and recorded in the Holy Scriptures. In trivial matters, even when we think we are right, it is often best for us to keep our mouths shut.

How should we treat others outside of the context Paul is speaking of in Ephesians? The fifth chapter of Paul’s first epistle to the church in Thessalonica is a wonderful place to find guidance concerning how we are to live with one another. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says that we should be concerned with encouraging and edifying one another. This attitude is mirrored in Colossians 4:6 where Paul writes that our “speech should always be gracious and seasoned with salt.”  Paul continues in 1 Thessalonians to say that we should be at peace among ourselves, warn those who are lazy, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient with one another, and see to it that no one repays evil for evil (1 Thessalonians 5:13-15).

There are some questions we must ask ourselves when we find ourselves at odds with others.

Is the point of our contention a matter of doctrine essential to the Gospel of Jesus Christ as presented in the Scriptures?

As the great poet Kenny Rogers once wrote, you have to “know when to hold them and no when to fold them.” Basically, some things are worth fighting for and others simply aren’t. If you find yourself at odds with another person, you must ask yourself if the point of contention is really worth fighting for. I love debating and standing up for the Word of God. 1 Peter 3:15 directs us to always be ready to give defense for the hope others see in us. Defending the Gospel of Christ and the directives found in Scriptures is a worthy cause provided we do so in love. Fighting over trivial issues; however, detracts us from the Truth.

Am I violating the word of God in my response to others?

We must honestly search our hearts when dealing with others … especially when we find ourselves at odds. Are we trying to edify our enemy or tear them down? Often times we know the answer to this question; however, we don’t take the time to ask it. We know our hearts. We know our motivation often times before we open our mouths.

Do I fear God enough to sacrifice my right to be right?

Let’s face it. Many times we are correct when someone else has slighted us. We know we’re right and we want the immediate gratification of proving it. Yet God has shown us another path. God has told us through His Word how we should respond when slighted. Christ Himself said that sometimes we are to turn the other cheek. Where does the strength to turn the other cheek come from? It comes from a faith in Christ and a reverential fear of God. Paul wrote in the Book of Romans, “Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead leave room for His [God’s] wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me [God]; I will repay, says the Lord, But if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in doing so you will be heaping fiery coals on his head. Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good” (Romans 12: 19-21).

Do we trust God enough to live at peace with one another, keep our tongues in check, and allow Him to avenge us? Is our belief in Christ strong enough to encourage us to love the unlovable (Matthew 5:44)?

In closing, we should keep in mind that Paul writes our troubles in this world are slight afflictions when compared to the incomparable eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Choose your battles wisely and love one another. Amen.

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Book Review: The Christian Atheist by Groeschel

Posted on June 24, 2010 by Clark Goble| Leave a comment
By Clark Goble | June 24, 2010

Book Review: The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel
Publisher: Zondervan, 2010

Author Craig Groeschel coins the term “Christian Atheist” to denote a believer who isn’t living his or her life in a way that exhibits that belief. Far from judgmental, this book is an exhortation for the reader to experience a fullness in their relationship with God. Groeschel uses several anecdotes from his own life to explore such weighty topics as shame, love, prayer, worry, and evangelism. Groeschel’s work reads almost like a biography documenting his own journey from Christian atheist to maturity in faith.

The goal for this book is to encourage the reader to strive for and embrace what Groescel refers to as “Third Line Faith.” Groeshell paints the picture of a Christian who crosses three separate lines on their road to spiritual maturity. The first line denotes a Christian who believes in the gospel of Christ just enough to benefit from it. The second line represents the Christian who has matured enough to have the desire to contribute to the Kingdom of God as long as it is comfortable to do so. The third and final line represents the Christian who believes so devoutly in the gospel of Christ that they are willing to give their entire life in service to it.

I don’t want to reveal too much because my hope is that you will read this book. I highly recommend it to all Christians who seek to grow and mature in their faith. Personally, I had a couple of “light-bulb” moments as I read this book; specifically when reading Groeschel’s chapters on forgiveness and worry. This book encompasses enough subjects that any believer who reads it should be able to identify their own obstacles on the road to spiritual maturity.

I’ll be adding this book to my list of highly recommended titles.

Clark

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Profile of Discipleship: Joseph of Arimathaea

Posted on June 15, 2010 by Clark Goble| Leave a comment
By Clark Goble | June 15, 2010

My last post introduced the concept of the “Perfect Disciple” and examined the idea that none of us really fit into that category. Instead, we are all imperfect and struggling to be a little more like Christ today than we were yesterday. One of the tools available for us is to study the lives of those disciples who came before us. This post will be the first in a series that I hope to contribute to every so often. The first disciple I have chosen to examine is Joseph of Arimathaea.

Who was Joseph of Arimathaea?

Joseph of Arimathaea (not to be confused with Joseph the husband of Mary) exists in stark contrast from the average disciple recorded in Scripture. Why? Joseph is depicted as a rich man (Mat 27:57). Rarely are the disciples depicted within the pages of Scripture recorded as being wealthy. In fact, Jesus Himself said that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Mat 19:24). Because of the difficulties Joseph must have faced as a disciple, his life is worth examining. Extra-Biblical sources suggest that Joseph was a merchant who worked in the area of Briton. He is described in Scripture as being a good and righteous man (Luke 23:50). Joseph was so respected by his peers that he served as a member of the Sanhedrin (Mark 15:43). This court was the ultimate authority over the religious affairs of Israel and had the final authority in the interpretation of Mosaic Law. The court settled both civil and legal cases. Most likely due to his prominent position in the Sanhedrin, Joseph was a secret disciple of Jesus. He hadn’t revealed his allegiance to Christ out of fear of what the Jews might do to him (John 19:38). Perhaps as modern disciples of Christ, we can identify with Joseph’s predicament. Has there ever been a time when you were afraid to speak up for Christ because of the reception your might receive? What separates Joseph from the average disciple is that when he was needed the most, he stepped up to the plate.

Joseph’s Big Moment

Imagine what it must have been like for the disciples on the day Jesus was crucified. Christ’s followers must have been dazed and confused. As Jesus’ body hung lifeless from the cross, there must have been serious misgivings about what the apostles were going to do with the rest of their lives. Joseph of Arimathaea must have shared in this confusion. God had placed Joseph in a position; however, to do something no other follower of Christ could do – and Joseph did not disappoint.

The gospels tell us that up to this point Joseph had only followed Christ in secret. Fear of the repercussions had kept Joseph from declaring his loyalty to Christ publicly. In was in the bleak moment; however, that secrecy no longer mattered to Joseph. As the apostles and other followers of Christ returned home, most likely dejected and confused, Joseph could not stand seeing his Lord hanging dead on the cross. It was in this moment that Joseph went into action.

The Scriptures tell us that Joseph boldly went to Pilate and begged for the body of Christ (Mark 15:43 & Luke 23:52). Think about this for a second. A man who the day before was fearful to disclose his allegiance to Christ was boldly begging for his body. This mere though of a member of the Sanhedrin begging for the body of Christ must have been scandalous; there’s no way it was done in secret. Once Pilate relented and handed the body over, Joseph wrapped Christ’s body in clean linen and placed it in his own new tomb (Luke 23:50). This was a tomb that Joseph himself had labored to cut out of the rock (Mat 27:60 & Mark 15:46). Once he was finished, Joseph went away.

Joseph’s act was born purely out of love for Christ. He must not have understood that Christ would return after three days (even the apostles closest to Christ didn’t understand this). Joseph wrapped Christ’s body in a clean linen because he thought he was dead and gone – forever. He wasn’t trying to score points with the risen Lord because he didn’t know his Lord was going to rise … he simply acted in service to one that he deeply loved.

Joseph sacrificed his own tomb, labor, money, and reputation for his Lord. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus tells a rich man that he must be willing to give up all that he had to follow Christ and thus enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Is there a better example of this in practice than what Joseph did for his fallen Lord? Joseph truly was willing to give up everything. How many hours must it have taken Joseph to cut a tomb out of solid rock? How much did the tomb cost? Only the very rich were afforded such resting places. Joseph sacrificed his reputation (and most likely his standing on the Sanhedrin) and even gave up his own eternal resting place for Christ. He was truly ready to give up everything to follow his Lord; even in death.

Joseph’s actions are so inspiring; especially in light of the fact that he was the only one that could accomplish what he did. He had the correct combination of wealth, reputation, and standing to boldly demand a meeting with Pilate and then fund the burial. He even had a freshly cut tomb! God was using Joseph to play an integral role in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ … and Joseph rose up to meet the call!

How much easier would it have been for Joseph to simply leave and move on with his life. No one would have ever know that he had followed Christ. I wonder what I would have done in the same situation.

What would you have done?

Joseph of Arimathaea provides Christ’s followers with a stunning example of discipleship in action. He allowed his faith in Christ to move him and was even willing to give up all his earthly treasures. It was an act that surely led to his reward in Heaven.

- Clark

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The God Box

Posted on April 5, 2010 by Todd French| Leave a comment
By Todd French | April 5, 2010

From the nearly the beginning of human history, man has been trying to put God in a box.  This what our finite temporal minds do best.  By nature, we attempt to identify, classify, catalog, and quantify all we encounter.  It’s not a bad thing, honestly.  It was even part of Adam’s charged ministry.  And insomuch as we do this in the physical realm, that’s fine.  It’s our fundamental nature to do so.  It keeps us safe and healthy at the same time.

The problem begins when we take this nature and attempt to apply it to God.  It leads us to say that God is X, or whatever X happens to be based on our flawed and incomplete understanding.  God strongly condemns this practice in many places.  He rebukes those who would follow him from trying to cast him into an image, any image for that matter.  This is in no small measure, because any image, idol, or icon of him fails utterly as an expression of him.

This hasn’t stopped humanity from trying.  The Israelites demanded idols to worship in the desert.  They even turned the Ark of the Covenant into an idol of sorts in one of their confrontations with the Philistines.  In both cases, God handed down some of the harshest discipline in the entirety of the Old Testament, (with the notable exceptions of the Sodom narrative and the captivity periods).

Those examples stand out in stark relief and should prevent us from repeating those tragic mistakes.  Sadly, however, they do not.  Our modern, or post-modern if you prefer, intellects are stilling trying to cast God into a box.  We try to intellectually understand God in concrete terms we can easily absorb.  We attempt to lay hold of the infinite with our pathetic finite brains, and cast for ourselves a mental idol that we can easily make sense of, rationally understand, and work with.  We try to boil God down to some ‘cookies on the bottom shelf’ pabulum that is easily digested by the broadest cross-section of humanity.  It’s what we humans are good at, despite divine commands to the contrary.

My own personal experience speaks volumes to how tragically misguided these efforts are.  In each case, God seemed solidly bent on confounding the box in which I had constructed for him to reside.  I would believe God to be this, that, or the other thing.  I would construct a systematic theology to support this frame of reference, and I would then proceed to live life from this place.  In each and every case, I would feel sure I’d constructed a solid framework which God could work from and reside within.  And in each and every case, the framework would collapse of its own weight, because God either didn’t know the role I’d written for him in the construct, didn’t care to play by the rules I’d codified for him, or wanted to frustrate my every effort to build a box for him mental or otherwise.  As to which one was the most proximal cause of my frustration, I’m sure I won’t know this side of Heaven.  I do now believe that it was a little of all three.

And so it is that I am no longer a spiritual box builder.  I’m tired of building a thing only to find out how pathetic a job I’d done at building the container.  Today, I find myself enthralled by the mysterious nature of God.  I swear that the older I get the more mysterious God becomes.  And the older I get the less interested I am in box building and systematic theology construction that effect to explain God.  I’ll leave the box building and systematic theology construction to the younger crowd.  I don’t have the energy or the desire for it anymore.  I am, today at least, content with the description God gave to Moses, “I am that I am”.  Nothing more works, fits, or effectively applies.

Who am I, after all, to describe effectively a being that exists, a part from the confines of this mortal coil?  Who am I to attempt to rationally explain a being that at its very core is not rational?  I wasn’t there at the moment God turned the lights on by the simple act of a spoken declaration of will.  And it’s unlikely I will be there when he turns them off to replace them with the glorious radiance that is his fundamental being.  I wasn’t there when the God that doesn’t change yet somehow remains mysterious laid the foundations of this world, and all the others.  And, unless I am wrong, I won’t be there when he reveals the new Heaven and the new Earth, (at least in the flesh).

So I am left only to accept that God is, and that my life should be lived from a place of acceptance of that immutable truth.  I shouldn’t posses the wantonly arrogant hubris that believes the Bible gives me anything more than enough information about God to find faith and belief for that God.  To do so is absolute folly, and dare I say utterly foolish.  The Bible is not a handbook for understanding God.  It is not a biology textbook that quantifies God in realistic terms.  It does not function to provide a vivisectionist’s guide to dissecting the divine.  Rather it provides the evidence that confirms the existence of that God, and the route by which that God can be interacted with.  Anything more is vain folly and narcissistic arrogance that places more worth on the spirit of man than his creator confers himself.

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