Tag: Religion

Reflections on Scripture

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals1 Comment

This morning in my reading, I came across Jeremiah 5:20-24. Here is what it says:

Declare this in the house of Jacob;
        proclaim it in Judah:
“Hear this, O foolish and senseless
people,
        who have eyes, but see not,
        who have ears, but hear not.
Do you not fear me? declares the
LORD.
        Do you not tremble before me?
I placed the sand as the boundary
for the sea,
        a perpetual barrier that it can-
not pass;
        though the waves toss, they can-
not prevail;
        though they roar, they cannot
pass over it.
But this people has a stubborn and
rebellious heart;
        they have turned aside and
gone away.
They do not say in their hearts,
   ‘Let us fear the LORD our God,
who gives the rain in its season,
    the autumn rain and the spring
rain,
and keeps for us
    the weeks appointed for the
harvest.’

My Reflection

As I reflected on this passage, I was reminded there are people around us everyday who know that the Lord is our Creator, who know He is the One true God. These same people look out like Judah and see His power. How He controls even the raging sea, so that it does not go pass the boundary He has set for it. How He is the One who gives us rain and causes our crops to grow.

Even so, they choose to ignore the Lord. They do not fear Him. Rather, they turn from Him to worship other gods and to do what seems good in their own eyes. But what happens when the end comes? What will those who do not fear the Lord do when they stand before Him in judgement?

Judah did not repent and worship the One true God, and His wrath was poured out on them. Let Judah’s example serve as a warning to all those who act in the same way, who ignore the Creator of this world, in order to serve other gods and themselves. A day of judgment is coming, and the Lord, who is mighty and powerful, will not be ignored then. To all who do not fear the Lord, repent and worship Him.

Resource

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Scripture Memory Challenge – Week 4

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn PracticalLeave a comment

How did you do with memorizing Scripture last week? If you did not do so well, or you did not know what Scripture to start memorizing, I invite you to take up the Scripture Memory Challenge with me. You can read more about it, and get started with week one’s memory verses, by clicking here.

Memory Verses

This last week, I memorized Psalm 103:5-7 and Psalm 103:8-10. I challenge you to do the same.

Psalm 103:5-7

who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the people of Israel.

Psalm 103:8-10

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will He keep His anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.

Resource

Fighter Verses Set 2 Weeks 6, 7

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What are the Types of Idols We Make?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn PracticalLeave a comment

Idolatry is just as common today as it was in the ancient world. While we often do not make man-made statues, we do produce idols. John Calvin once said that the heart is an idol factory. He meant that we constantly produce idols because we are good at making just about anything into an idol.

What is an Idol?

An idol can be anything that comes before or occupies the place of God in our lives. It is anything other than God that we allow to dominate and control us. It is any activity that we do more for our own self-image and unmet emotional needs than for the pure pursuit of Christ’s Kingdom [1]. We can make idols out of just about anything: our children, our work, our success, our church involvement, our home maintenance, our family obligations, or anything else that we find more joy, peace, acceptance, or worth in other than God. We all have them, we just need to know how to find them, so we can uproot them.

Three Categories of Idols

In Subversive Kingdom, Ed Stetzer, pulling from one of Tim Keller’s sermons, says that our idols tend to orient themselves around three broad categories: Personal, Religious, and Cultural [2]. Here is how he defines each of these categories:

Personal Idols

These are those desires and temptations that individuals commonly pursue: greed, sex, power, various forms of personal indulgence and experience.

Religious Idols

These are those beliefs and practices we employ to quiet our fears and invite inner comfort without having to resort to dependent devotion toward God.

Cultural Idols

These are those idols that present themselves whenever we pursue our hopes and ambitions through the deceptive promises of our world’s ideologies and values.

Conclusion

While we are good at making idols, we have been given the power through Jesus Christ to root these idols out of our lives, and that we must do. As Christians, we are to have no other gods before the One true God (Ex. 20:2). Our God is a jealous God (Ex. 20:5). He desires our singular devotion. So we must fight to shut down the idol making factory in our heart, keeping it closed for business.

The first way for us to rid idols from our lives is to understand the types of idols we make, those being personal, religious, and cultural. In addition, we must then pray that God, through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, would shut our idol factory down. After which, we must preach the gospel to ourselves. Always reminding ourselves of what Jesus has done for us, that we are fully accepted in Him, and that we have more joy, peace, and worth in Him than in any man-made object.

Questions for Reflection

  • Do you know the common idols in your life?
  • Are you willing to ask God to reveal your idols?
  • What do you think about the three categories Stetzer uses? Are they helpful?
  • Do you see your heart as an idol making factory?

Resources

[1] Ed Stetzer, Subversive Kingdom, 144-145.
[2] Ibid.

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Scripture Memory Challenge – Week 3

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn PracticalLeave a comment

How did you do with memorizing Scripture last week? If you did not do so well, or you did not know what Scripture to start memorizing, I invite you to take up the Scripture Memory Challenge with me. You can read more about it, and get started with week one’s memory verses, by clicking here.

Memory Verses

This last week, I memorized Romans 15:1-2 and Psalm 103:1-4. I challenge you to do the same.

Romans 15:1-2

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

Psalm 103:1-4

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy. 

Resource

Fighter Verses Set 2 Weeks 4, 5

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Prophet, Priest, and King

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Practical8 Comments

You may have heard that all believers function as a Prophet, Priest, and King, but you may not know how you function in those ways. I have often wondered myself. Yesterday, I came across an article, entitled Movement Dynamics, by Timothy Keller that helped me to understand the biblical reasoning behind these categories, as well as the ways in which we act as a Prophet, Priest, and King. Today, I want to share with you what I learned from that article.

Prophet

A prophet is one who interprets Scripture, judges by Scripture, and witnesses to the truth of their faith. He is also one who admonishes, counsels, nourishes, and encourages other believers from the Scripture.

Joel 2:28-29 predicts those in the New Covenant will act as prophets, and we do. In Matthew 11:9-11, we are told that we are in a greater position and calling than the prophets of old, specifically, John the Baptist who is said to be the greatest prophet.

Then in Colossians 3:16 and Hebrews 3:13 and 10:24-25 our prophetic duties are spelled out, telling us that we are teach and admonish others, exhort others, so that they will not be hardened by sin, and we are to stir one another up to love and good deeds. We are also called by Jesus to take His message to our neighbors and the nations (Matt. 28:18-21).

Priest

A priest is one who has access to God. He is able to enter into His presence and intercede for others.

The veil to the temple was torn in two at Jesus’ crucifixion (Matt. 27:51), resulting in all of us having access as priests in the name of Christ, the great High Priest, to the presence of God (Heb. 4:14-16).

We all are given priestly work (Rev. 5:10). We are to pray for others (James 5:16). We are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1-2). As well as we are to offer sacrifices of deeds and mercy (Heb. 13:16), along with offerings of worship: praising God and acknowledging His name (Heb. 13:15).

King

A king is one who sits on his throne ruling and reigning over those He has been given authority over. He has the power to make decisions and fight off attackers that would threaten his kingdom.

Every believer has these same abilities, having been made a kingdom through the blood of Christ (Rev. 5:9-10) and seated with Him in the heavenly places (Eph. 2:6) we reign now over the powers of Satan. We are able to fight and defeat the world, the flesh, and the devil (1 Tim. 1:18; 6:12). One day, we will reign on this earth alongside our One True King, Jesus Christ (Rev. 1:5-6; 5:9-10). As well as those who are apart of the New Covenant church have the power to make decisions regarding church governance even now.

Jesus is the Ultimate Prophet, Priest, and King

While every believer is a Prophet, Priest, and King, the ultimate Prophet, Priest, and King is Jesus Christ. He is the One that brings us God’s Word (Prophet). Stands as our advocate before the Father (Priest), and orders the life of His people through His Law (King). Without Him and His sacrifice, we would not be able to exercise our offices as Prophet, Priest, and King. So may we not forget that Jesus is the ultimate Prophet, Priest, and King, who makes it possible for us to function in these offices, as well as stands as our perfect example.

Questions for Reflection:

  • How are you doing at exercising your role as Prophet, Priest, and King?
  • Do you exercise your role as a Prophet by speaking the truth in love to others, calling them to repent and believe the gospel, as well as calling those who are Christians to live as Christ?
  • Do you exercise your Priestly role by interceding for others, and offering yourself as a living Sacrifice?
  • Do you fight against evil, the flesh, and the world in your life as a King?

Resources

Post adapted from Timothy Keller, Movement Dynamics, 3-4.

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Ungodliness: It is all in how you live?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals6 Comments

Note: This is a repost of a series I started last year but did not finish. I am currently teaching this series at my church Sycamore Baptist Church, so I will be reposting the few articles I already wrote along with the new ones that will finish the series.

Last week we began our series on Respectable Sins, you can read the introductory post here. This week, we will deal with the first of many sins we as Christians ignore, that being ungodliness.

Clarification and Definition

When thinking of ungodliness, do not confuse it with unrighteousness. Unrighteousness refers to sinful actions, while ungodliness describes our attitude toward God.

Specifically, ungodliness is defined as “living one’s everyday life with little or no thought of God, or of God’s will, or of God’s glory, or of one’s dependence on God” [1].

With this definition in mind, we can see how someone can be morally good, yet still ungodly. In fact, there are a lot of people who are morally good, yet ungodly. They help others, are courteous, and friendly, but they have no thought of God in their everyday lives. While our society would say that they are good people, God’s Word would say they are ungodly people.

Ungodliness is not just a sin the world commits. There are many in the church who are ungodly as well. They go about their daily lives thinking nothing of the Lord. While we expect those in the world to live as if God does not exist, it is not God’s will for His people to live with no thought of Him. Since this is the case, we must do all we can to rid the sin of ungodliness from our lives. In order to do that, we have to first understand how ungodliness manifests itself.

How Does Ungodliness Manifest Itself?

There are several ways ungodliness can manifest itself in the life of a Christian. The first way ungodliness manifests itself is through our planning. We prove we are ungodly when we do not include God’s will in our plans. Read what James writes,

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”” (Jas 4:13–15)

The second way ungodliness manifests itself is through our prayer. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul transcribes the way he has been praying for the Colossians. He writes,

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” (Col 1:9–12)

Here we see Paul is concerned for God’s will, glory, and desire for the Colossians lives. He prays they would grow in the knowledge of God’s will and in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. He also gives thanks to the Father for the Colossians’ salvation. When we observe the manner in which Paul prayed and compare it against our own prayers, do we see a similarity? I would argue our prayers are markedly different than Paul’s. Paul’s prayer is God-centered. He is concerned for God’s will and God’s glory. Our prayers are often more of a to-do list that we present to God. They consist of various health and financial needs, which are not necessarily wrong to pray about. Bringing these requests to God actually shows that we depend on Him for our daily sustenance. However, if that is all we pray about, then our prayers are essentially human-centered and we are treating God like a divine genie.

The third way we manifest ungodliness in our lives is through our work. Paul again writing to the Colossians says,

“Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.” (Col 3:22–25)

Paul tells the Colossians to work heartily for the Lord. This implies they have God in mind when they are working. They think about Him and what He desires in their work. How often do we think about God and representing Him well when we are at work?

The fourth way we manifest ungodliness is through neglecting God in all our actions. In 1 Corinthians Paul says,

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor 10:31)

Do we seek to bring glory to God in all our actions, in all our daily tasks, in all our meetings, in every meal? Do we even think about God as we walk through our day? When we do not have God in mind as we move through our daily tasks, we are living ungodly lives.

The final way we manifest ungodliness is through our lack of prayer. Read how the Psalmist viewed his relationship with the Lord:

“As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” (Ps 42:1–2)

The Psalmist’s soul thirsts after God, as a dear pants for a stream when he is thirsty. His desire to appear before the Lord in prayer is great. There are many of us, who do not know what it means to desire to come before the Lord as much as we desire a drink of water or our next meal. There are many men who are in full-time Vocational Ministry, many who teach a Sunday School class, or lead a Small Group Ministry, or work in the Children’s Ministry, who do not desire to commune with the Lord in prayer. Lest I leave anyone out, there are many who sit in the pews each week and never commune with the Lord outside bowing their head when the pastor prays on Sunday. If this is the case, then you are living an ungodly life.

Remedy

We can begin to remove this sin from our lives, by being more aware our lives are lived in the presence of God, and that He is the Sovereign Lord not only over this world, but us as well.

Scripture to Memorize

1 Timothy 4:7-8; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 1:9-10 and 3:23; Psalms 42:1-2; 63:1; 27:4

Questions for Reflection

  1. Why should we include God in our plans and seek His desire for what He would have us to accomplish?
  2. Are your prayers like Paul’s? Do you pray for God’s will and glory? Do you pray for the spiritual health of others?
  3. How often do you think about God while you are at work? Do you see your time there as an opportunity to glorify Him?
  4. How could you better think about God in all that you do?
  5. Do you desire to meet with the Lord like the Psalmist does? Is your desire to spend time with Him in prayer and Bible reading as strong as your desire for your next meal?

Resources

[1] Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins, 54.
Structure of post taken from Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins, 53-61.

Image: Damian Brandon / FreeDigitalPhotos.net