Choose Wisely Whom You Will Follow

For Young Persons in General.

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility; for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time. 1 Pet. 5:5-6.

http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php

 

The Small Catechism refers to 1 Peter 5:5-6 in order to remind young people of their duties.

 

"In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud
    but shows favor to the humble.”

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time."

 

I would add verses 8 and 9 of 1 Peter 5 as part of that warning.  "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings."

 

Yes, by all means, in humility, listen and follow in the way your elders would teach you to go. But, when you are getting conflicting directions from elders; when one tells you to go this way and another tells you to go that way; take a good look at the fruits of the one who is trying to direct you. If their actions have led them to lives dodging the law or if they have spent time in prison or even in multiple civil suits. If in order to survive they have to con other people or steal from them, if their pride filled lives are being spent on making trouble for others and ultimately themselves, maybe it would be a good thing to listen to and follow the elder who has learned to live in peace with others and to produce fruits worthy of the family of believers and the Kingdom which has been promised you through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

 

Choose wisely whom you will serve: one who is guided by the devil who wishes only to devour you or one who serves the living Lord who was willing to die so that you might live.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Daniel 6 - Tell Every Nation

The book of Daniel is just full of familiar stories - stories taught to our Sunday School youth. In this chapter, Darius the Mede is ruling. The administrators and satraps play to his ego and get him to issue and edict that calls for everyone in the kingdom to pray to no one but King Darius. They cannot pray to anyone or anything else or they will be thrown into the lion's den. Apparently, Darius' ego over-ruled any common sense because Darius signed the edict.

Of course those who coerced Darius into signing this edict had an ulterior motive. They were jealous of Darius and wanted him gone. They caught Daniel praying, who they had known would not stop praying to his God, and turned him in to Darius. Darius had no choice but to keep his word and lock Daniel in the lions' den. Apparently King Darius had at least a little faith in the God that Daniel prayed to. He told Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!” (vs 16 NIV)
Darius was so anxious that he did not sleep all night.

"At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”

"Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”  (vs 19-22)

The king threw the men who had plotted against Daniel, along with their families, into the lions' den.

"Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth:

“May you prosper greatly!

“I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.

“For he is the living God
    and he endures forever;
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
    his dominion will never end.
He rescues and he saves;
    he performs signs and wonders
    in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel    from the power of the lions.” (vs 25-27)

The king had seen the miracle that the living God had done in saving Daniel and not only did he decree that everyone in his kingdom should reverence the God of Daniel, the living, eternal God; but, he wrote to all the nations proclaiming God's power and mighty deeds.

Now, here is one who has no birthright to the kingdom of God. But, he sees. He knows. He reverences the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And... this King Darius is an evangelist! He wrote to all the nations! What about us? Have we told even our neighbors, our family, about this God, who is above all things; whose Kingdom will never be destroyed; nor will His dominion every end? This is the God who rescues and saves! Have you told anyone this - so that they too might believe and be saved?

Go into all the world... proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom through Jesus Christ, our LORD.

God's Peace - Pr. J
 

Ezekiel 10 - In God's Glory

"Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim." (Ezekiel 10:18 NIV)

Ezekiel describes the movement of God's glory to the outside of the temple. This movement occurs in concert with the cherubim, the four living creatures, of Ezekiel's visions. These cherubim were amazing creatures. "Each of the cherubim had four faces: One face was that of a cherub, the second the face of a human being, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle." (Ezekiel 10:15) Four faces, wheels whirring in multitudes of directions beneath the; yet, amazingly, they all move in one direction. They all move in the same direction at the same time. They do not deviate from the course. They leave the temple with the glory of God in unison - together.

They leave the temple in order for the man clothed in linen that sits above them can scatter burning coals over the city. "The Lord said to the man clothed in linen, “Go in among the wheels beneath the cherubim. Fill your hands with burning coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.” And as I watched, he went in." (Ezekiel 10:2)

He went in among the wheels and one of the cherubim handed him the fire. They worked in unison, they went straight ahead, all with one mission, according to God's will, in the glory of God.

May it be so for the church on earth, that whatever God wills for His people, it is done, for His glory.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Isaiah 65 - God Calls Even The Lion And Wolf

“I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;
    I was found by those who did not seek me.
To a nation that did not call on my name,
    I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’" (Isa 65:1 NIV))

The LORD chose us. He chose to reveal Himself to those who did not know Him, even those who did not seek Him. God does what He does simply because He is God.

Verse 24 tells us "Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear." Often as I finish a prayer rather than say something like: Lord, in your mercy, hear my prayer; I thank God for in His mercy, He has heard my prayer and answered. That is, I use the past tense, knowing that God has already accomplished it. God knows what we need. He knows what we want. He knows way in advance of us even knowing it. Therefore, we confirm that He has heard our prayers and answered even before we asked. We may not be able to comprehend that answer at the time we ask it, but we are confident that He has heard and answered. That's just God. He can do that. We cannot.

He can even cause the wolf and the lamb to feed together, the lion to quit preying on others. Imagine that! Nothing is impossible with God! After all, look what He was able to accomplish through Saul, that is St. Paul! He makes peace within His kingdom. He reconciles even the most unlikely characters simply because He is God and that is what He chooses to do.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Isaiah 11 - The Wolf Will Live With The Lamb As A Little Child Leads Us

A blog can't even begin to touch these marvelous prophecies of Isaiah! They are the predictions of not only Israel from the Assyrians, but they look even more forward than that.  The Davidic line will be no more than a stump, the tree having been cut down. But, from that lineage which has been pretty much decimated, will spring forth a branch, a leader, a king, who wears righteousness as his belt and faithfulness as a sash around his waist. (Isa 11:5 NIV) Isaiah predicts the coming Messiah, who is Jesus the Christ.

The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lordas the waters cover the sea. (Isa 11:6-9)

I find it providential that this lesson is coming up today, even as I have been working on another blog article regarding the wolf. In it, I ponder how to discern the difference between a sheep and a wolf in sheep's clothing and how dangerous it is to the flock to knowingly allow a wolf in disguise to be active in a congregation. So, as I consider this chapter from Isaiah, I wonder if the time has come that has been prophesied where the figurative wolves and the sheep (lamb) can live in peace alongside one another, doing God's will. You all know what I'm talking about. There are wolves in almost every congregation and some of them border on being very carnivorous. They are those antagonists who smile a lot, yet manage to stir up a lot of divisions between the members and sometimes even between the members and the pastor. They come disguised as a little lamb, but inside are ravenous wolves. Yet, God manages to bring it all around to a good purpose and even what seems to be the worse case scenario to us, where the congregation actually closes its doors, maybe in the long run we will see the good that God intended from that, as well. All I know is that somehow He manages to produce fruit through even the wolves. Wolves, sheep, lion, ox, cow, bear all gathering together. Even I can be a bear, at times. In fact, I'm thinking, would I rarely, except maybe by some of our youngest children ever be likened to anything as peaceful as a lamb. We live together, as the one who came to us as a little child, leads us. (Isa 11:6)

Peace is good. It is very good, indeed! May the righteousness of God be the rule in our lives. May peace abide in us and we in the Prince of Peace.

God's Peace - Pr. J 

Proverbs 28 - Rules Who Pursue Righteousness and Justice For all Wanted!

Proverbs 28 is chock full of wise sayings; sayings worth paying attention to and maybe changing one's life a bit. For example:

"The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion." (Prov 28:1 NIV) 
"A discerning son heeds instruction, but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father." (Prov 28:7)
"Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their 
     fill of poverty." (Prov 28:19)
"The greedy stir up conflict, but those who trust in the Lord will prosper." (Prov 28:25)

The one that strikes home the most this morning is verse 2: "When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers, but a ruler with discernment and knowledge maintains order."

I'm thinking that when a country has a strong leader, one that pursues righteousness for all people, one who does not pursue agendas either for the rich or the poor, for the strong or the weak. When a country has leader that will rule with justice for all people, then the people will be united with one another, helping and supporting the whole country in times of need. But, when the leader is weak, doing what is righteous in his own eyes, the people will go in many directions, following various leaders as they look for what is right for themselves, not for all people, and there will be much strife, as the people dispute amongst themselves, who shall be the greatest and who shall be the least.

Just praying for a bit more order in this country, today. There is way too much self-righteousness, where our leaders think they can do no wrong. There are way too many leaders, who lead with their egos, rather than with the discernment and knowledge of the wisdom and the will of God for all people, causing frustration and rebelliousness in the land.

Pray for this country, that the rebellious hearts of her people will be softened towards the needs of one another and of the country as a whole; that her rulers will lead with one heart and mind, trusting in the will of the LORD, so that we might once again prosper.

God's Peace - Pr. J