Opus 2026-259: God Filters

I think we all would admit that there are large numbers of people who refuse to listen to what God is trying to tell them.  In Romans, Paul talks about how the glory of God is obvious in creation.  People, if they are listening, will see that there is something bigger than us, what we would call God.  Having said that they refused to listen to His clear statements in scripture and to the voice of the Holy Spirit, trying to guide their lives.

What I hadn’t thought about in those terms before, is that God may also have a filter where He does not listen to what we say.  I have often stated that God does not hear the prayers of the unrighteous.  I think we can document that in several places.  One place,

(Jer 7:16 KJV)  Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.

And even in the book of Proverbs, it seems to say that after a lifetime of thumbing our nose of God if we then decide to get desperate and calm on Him there’s a good chance He will thumb His nose at us.

(Pro 1:26-28 KJV)  I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.  Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:

So I was thinking this morning about how grateful I am for the blessings of God and, the best way I can explain it is, I am emoted my feelings towards Him.  I have to believe that when I do that He picks up on that and I like to think it brings Him pleasure.  If that’s true, and it is a big if, God would also be receptive to the pain, agony and suffering of human beings.  Which brings me to the idea of filters.  I think it’s very easy to accept the idea that God filters out the agony that people go through when they are responsible for the agony.

Consider the difference between a masculine approach and a feminine approach.  Women tend to feel your pain.  Men want you to walk it off.  I mean that as a generalization, not a stereotype.  Women tend to be more into feelings and emotions.  Men tend to be into action and strength.  One of the problems we’re having in education and society is a whole is that it’s becoming feminized.  We’re more concerned about someone’s feelings than we are about whether they got the job done and did it right.

God is love.  We know that.  Words like loving kindness and mercy are common in the Old Testament.  The first part of the definition of love is patience, and if God is love than God is patient.  There are all indications that God wants to give people blessings and the joys of life.  There are even more indications that those people keep filtering out God’s directions and insist on going their own way.  Was Israel deported?  We all know it was.  The northern Kingdom was so evil that we don’t even know what happened to them.  The southern Kingdom seem to have enough of a remnant left that God brought them back later.  The reason for all this is their continued and repetitive insistence that their way was more important than God’s way.

So I would submit for today that yes, God filters out a lot of the pain and suffering that people go through.  There’s not much He can do for us if we refuse to respond.  He can make all kinds of offers, promises, procedures, priorities but if we don’t respond, there’s little He can do to solve our problems.

I for one want to do everything I can to make it so that God will be blessed by my obedience and my attitude.

homo unius libri

Opus 2022-001: Jump Start

As I was looking at the new year I found myself wondering about a verse for the year.  With all the panic going on in the media and government I felt like we needed to be reminded about the call to not live in craven fear.  It might be well to remember that fear gets both positive and negative press in the Bible.  In reality there are two very different meanings.

The conclusion is that we are to have a hierarchy in our fear.  The proper fear is a foundation for a successful life.  I fear electricity.  I fear wasps.  I fear a lot of things, and so I should.  If they are not treated with respect they can damage or kill.  That kind of fear does not keep me from turning on the lights, going out side or many other things because the fear I have teaches me respect and control.

Thus our lives begin with fear, the fear of the Lord.  The book of Proverbs keeps repeating that phrase starting with,

(Pro 1:7 KJV)  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

and goes to,

(Pro 23:17 KJV)  Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.

I will let you do your own research.  The best known products of the fear of the Lord:  Wisdom, knowledge, understanding.  It goes beyond that.

But there is another verse that I want to focus on this year.

(2Ti 1:7 KJV)  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

A little comparison might be in order to get the depth here.  Look at the NASB,

(2Ti 1:7 NAS77) For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.

Notice that fear can be read as being timid.  Notice that a sound mind has the idea of discipline.

Those are good strengths for me to cultivate this year.

Grace and peace.

homo unius libri

Opus 2021-085: Candle Power: #1, Start with Number One

Those pesky Chinese seem to have thought of everything.  When I did a search to find out who said, "It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness", I came up with a Chinese proverb.  At least it hasn’t gone viral.

Maybe it should.  What can we do as individuals to overcome the darkness we are facing?

The first thing I am going to suggest is hard to define simply.  It will express itself different ways in different people.  Begin by looking inward and getting your own self in order.  I make my case from a Christian perspective.  The Bible will be my resource book.  The Bible has many themes and many things people disagree with but there are certain themes that go through the entire book.

For today I want to point out that God rewards the righteous.  If you are a Calvinist don’t get too hung up on the issue of grace and works.  You would need to be Biblically illiterate to miss the many times that God promises to look out for His own.  It makes a difference how we live.  

I read through the book of Proverbs every month.  Let me look at the first few chapters and pick out some of the comments.

(Pro 1:33 KJV) But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

(Pro 2:8 KJV) He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.

This one I like from the NASB.  Somehow refreshed bones speaks to me.

(Pro 3:8 NAS77) It will be healing to your body, And refreshment to your bones.

(Pro 4:4 KJV) He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

You get the idea.  This is not a detailed doctrinal statement.  It is a basic truth.  God looks out after His own.  Of course the Bible also promises persecution and such but even in that God promises to give a blessing.

So before you try to change the country, work on changing yourself.  If God’s people will not be God’s people then the pagans among us will share His wrath with us.  If you want to set the world on fire for liberty, keep your matches and tender dry, your spiritual claim to God’s benefits.

homo unius libri

Opus 2016-33: Monday Pulpit: Surprise, Surprise

Was it Gomer Pyle that used to say, “Surprise, Surprise!”  The pastor had an interesting statement a few weeks ago, “We should not be surprised by evil.”  This is an alert that is specifically germane to Americans.  We tend to be a Pollyanna culture.  We tend to think that the good guys win and life is full of happy endings.  We do not understand the hatred and animosity that is the standard for the rest of the world.

Notice:  Evil exists.  In fact it is very common in our world.  It is what motivates the terrorists and murderers of the world.  It is what motivates many in politics, business and even in churches.  If you live on Sunshine Acres then you need to know that you are a target.  If you are a believer then all you need to do is read Proverbs.  I found many verses dealing with this.  Let me share just two.

(Proverbs 1:16 KJV)  For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

(Proverbs 21:10 KJV)  The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes.

If you are not a believer then just open your eyes and look around you.  Human nature is not a desire to do good being frustrated by society.  It is rampant with narcissism and aggression. 

Don’t be surprised.

homo unius libri