Taste and See: Redeeming The Time

Do you spend your time wisely? Do any of us? Do you want to?! Perhaps that is the first step. Realizing that there are things in our lives that are a complete waste of time, and other things that are more redeeming in nature. Ephesians 5:15-17 in the American Standard Bible:

Look therefore carefully how ye walk, not as unwise, but as wise; redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

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What does it mean to redeem the time? Well, a few verses later--in Ephesians--we're told to be filled with the Spirit.

"Be filled with the Spirit; speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father." (Ephesians 5:18-20)

And in Philippians 4, we're given further instructions:

 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable--if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise--dwell on these things." (Philippians 4:4-9) I quoted it from the HCSB. 

And in Colossians 3, we're given quite a lot to digest:

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. (Colossians 3:12-17) I quoted the NASB.

I think a foundational truth is there: whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Jesus is to be so real to us, such a part of our thoughts, our hearts, our lives, that he not only IS present but FEELS present to us. To live like he is ever-present, to live in HIS presence, to cherish each moment as an opportunity to be with Him, perhaps that is a clue as to how to redeem the time. Do you live like that? Do you want to?

Do you only acknowledge God one day a week? Do you only acknowledge Him two hours a week? Or do you give him more of yourself, more of your time, more of your heart and mind and soul? Do you only remember Him when you're in great need? Do you only remember Him on holidays?

How much of our lives do we owe to our Creator and Savior? How much of our lives are we giving Him? Are we giving even that willingly or grudgingly? Have you discovered the truth that we are to DELIGHT in being with Him? Psalm 42:1-2, Psalm 84:10, etc.

How do we get to know God? How do we discover God's will? Through reading, studying, meditating, and memorizing Scripture, and through prayer.

In chapter twenty of Taking Back The Good Book, Woodrow Kroll shares some good ideas, one of which is tithing our time.

We typically think of tithing in monetary terms, but have you ever thought about tithing your time? Suppose you spent 10 percent of your day with God? What would that mean? Mathematically, there are twenty-four hours in a day, which equals 1440 minutes. If you gave the Lord 10 percent of that time, he would receive 144 minutes every day. That's over two hours. Is that how much time you spend in reading the Word and in prayer now? Probably not. But let's be fair. You have to work and sleep each for eight hours. You can't really tithe that time. So we're really talking about tithing in terms of your third eight-hour period in the day. That's 480 minutes, and a tithe of 480 minutes is forty-eight minutes daily. If you gave God forty-eight minutes daily, you'd be giving him one-tenth of one-third of your day. Does that sound reasonable? But how are you going to find forty-eight minutes in a day? You start here: instead of tacking God onto your schedule where you can, instead of watching your third reality show of the night, turn off the television, shut out everything else, and spend forty-eight quality minutes with God. If you do that, you could actually read the Bible through four times in one year--pretty amazing! (160)

And in O Love That Will Not Let Me Go, a collection of essays, Randy Alcorn writes in his "Finishing with Few Regrets":

The key to spirituality is the development of little habits, such as Bible reading and memorization and prayer. In putting one foot in front of the other day after day, we become the kind of person who grows and endures rather than withers and dies. (57)

Renewing our minds requires conscious, deliberate effort. (56)

When our life here is over, what will we wish we'd done less of and more of? (62)

I believe that once you start ABIDING in the Word, you'll find it easier to take God with you throughout your day.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Taste and See: Impatience and Enthusiasm

I am reading Genesis. Again. I won't lie. Not every single chapter in Genesis is exciting, full of action, adventure, and drama. But plenty happens! Look at any Bible storybook collection! So many are drawn from Genesis!

Genesis 24 is not a chapter I look forward to. I'll explain. I have a tendency to see this as a repeat-repeat chapter.

Here we have a perfectly lovely story about God providing a wife for Isaac. Abraham sends his servant to find a wife for his son, Isaac. He is a man on a mission. And he is taking this mission seriously. He is taking it to God. He is placing his faith in God; he is praying to God to show him a sign. He might be thinking how will I know which girl is 'the one'?  This mission is too big to leave to chance, no, he needs God. So he prays specifically:

"O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show lovingkindness to my master Abraham. Behold, I am standing by the spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; now may it be that the girl to whom I say, 'Please let down your jar so that I may drink,' and who answers, 'Drink, and I will water your camels also,' --may she be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown lovingkindness to my master." (Genesis 24:12-14, NASB)

I get impatient because there are elements of the story that repeat. The story is one that keeps getting told and retold. The servant is filling in Laban on all the details: his conversation with Abraham, his conversation with God, his conversation with Rebekah. Of course, Laban needed to be told. These details were necessary for Laban to understand and give his blessing. And these details were probably still exciting and new to Rebekah, for these were words of her new beginning. Her story is just beginning. This stranger has brought with him a new beginning, a new adventure.

So why am I so impatient as a reader? as a listener? I don't know! (I wish I did.) But last night was the first time--at least in a long time--where I tried to see this story with new eyes. From thinking about it from the servant's point of view, this is ALL about God's faithfulness to provide. This is a story where we see God at work! Talk about answered prayer! He has every reason to praise God! For here is a God who listens and provides! Do we have a tendency to share more of our prayer requests with others than to share our answers to those prayers? Do we tell others how God has provided for us? blessed us? answered our prayers? Do we invite others to share our joys? I also tried to see this from Rebekah's perspective. Here was a woman--I'm not sure if we know exactly how old (or young) she was--going about her usual business (at least as far as we know) and here God is providing for her as well. God didn't send Rebekah a prince (think "Someday my prince will come") but he sent her his servant. Rebekah's life is going to change. There are so many things still uncertain. It's a leap of faith, I believe, to ride away with this stranger, to trust that this is God's will for her life, that Isaac is the one for her, but she appears to be hopeful. Both Rebekah and the servant appear enthusiastic to be a part of God's plan.

Was this story one that Rebekah herself retold her family through the years? her husband, her children, her grandchildren? Was this story one of the ways that she communicated God's faithfulness to her children?

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Taste and See: Eating a Balanced Diet

Today's post is inspired by Woodrow Kroll's Taking Back the Good Book. I'm choosing as a 'key verse' 1 Peter 2:2-3:

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation--if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 

In chapter thirteen, he discusses how important it is for believers to eat a balanced spiritual diet.

If a balanced diet is one of the keys to being healthy physically, why wouldn't it be one of the keys to being healthy spiritually? Eating a balanced diet means getting proper amounts of the five basic Bible food groups:

• History--books such as Genesis, Joshua, 1 Samuel, and Acts
• Prophecy -- books such as Daniel, Revelation, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah
• Poetry -- books such as Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon
• Gospels -- Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
• Epistles -- books such as Romans, Ephesians, 1 Peter, and Jude

You don't need to eat from these five groups every day, but if you want to establish good growth habits, you do need to eat repeatedly from all five. So what's for dinner today? Eat from the Law and the Prophets. Have a side salad from the Psalms. Devour the doctrine of the epistles, and enjoy the veggies of the Gospels. That's how to grow to spiritual maturity. (111-12)

He goes on to say:

Unfortunately, a growing number of twenty-first century Christians don't grow to maturity because they have developed a taste for spiritual junk food. Spiritual junk food isn't always bad; it's just not as good as a balanced, vitamin-enriched diet. Statistics prove that millions of evangelical Christians eat a steady diet of spiritual junk food. They crave the tasty, well-advertised, highly decorative side dishes and desserts but don't eat their vitamin-enriched lean meat and vegetables. A growing number of Christians want Gummi Bears; what they need is green beans.

Gummi Bears are tasty, they're cute, they're squishy, they're brightly colored, they've got everything going for them--except nutritional value. On the other hand, green beans may not be as tasty, as cute, nor as flashy or brightly colored. The main thing green beans have going for them is that they're what you need. They'll build you up and make you strong and healthy. The diet of the twenty-first century church consists of too many Gummi Bears and not enough of God's green beans. It's okay to eat an occasional Gummi Bear; just don't make it your meal every day.

When you buy Christian books, don't look for Gummi Bears. When you listen to Christian radio or watch Christian television, don't hone in on Gummi Bears. Don't let style rob you of substance. Adopt God's diet so you will grow "to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that [you] may no longer be children" (Eph. 4:13-14). Gummi Bears make great snacks, but green beans make a life. (112-13)

Christians who don't read the Bible may just have an eating disorder. The Bible is there for our nourishment, for our growth, for our encouragement. It is ours for the taking. It is OURS. God's very word revealed to us, for us. Through these life-giving words, we are NOURISHED, we are TRANSFORMED, we are RENEWED. Through these words we come to know and love our God, our Savior, our Father. Through these words we discover grace and love--in such a personal, intimate way that it almost leaves us speechless.

Earlier in the chapter, Kroll states: "Today, too many Christians are at the same place spiritually they were the day they were saved. They're stuck in spiritual infancy. They've never grown. They're still spiritual babies." (111)

Does that describe you? There is good news. It's never too late to start seeking God in his Word. You can start today. You don't need to wait for a new year, a new season, a new month, a new week. You don't need to devise the perfect plan. For the truth is, there is no perfect plan. You just have to do it. You just have to be consistent. You just have to bring yourself to the Word day after day after day after day. Come seeking God, come looking for answers, come searching and praying. Come with anticipation and enthusiasm. Don't be content with surviving on the bread crumbs of others. Those spiritual truths shared with you by others. Come and FEAST for yourself.


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Taste and See: Living Sacrifices

Does how we live matter? What do our lives say about us? about our faith? about God? Should what we say we believe be making a difference in how we live our lives day to day? Are you choosing to live for God or for yourself? Are you "forgetting" God in your daily life?

I believe that our lives do matter. That how we live our lives matter. Not because salvation is by works. It's not. Salvation is a work of God in our lives. God by his grace gives us the faith to believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. Not because God is a God to bargain with or bribe. He's not. Not because we are competitive with one another--wanting to brag on Sunday morning and Wednesday nights. Boasting and pride are tricky sins that need to be confessed and repented of.

Our lives matter because we are to live for Christ. We are called to present ourselves as living sacrifices. We are called to be God's hands and feet. We're commanded to abide in Christ, to remain in his love and teaching. We're called to serve out of gratitude, out of love, out of awe and worship.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1, ESV)

I've read a couple of theology books the past month, and there are a few passages that have stayed with me, that have challenged me to reflect and consider. I thought I'd share them (again) with you. I hope that you will take a few minutes to comment, to share your thoughts and reflections on these passages and on the questions I've asked.

The inspiration and authority of the Scriptures are of value to us only so far as we change our beliefs to conform to its principles and alter our behavior to coincide with its imperatives.  ~ Sam Storms, Note to Self, Foreword (12)

In other words, for the Bible to be of value to us it must actually function to shape how we think, feel, and act as well as what we believe, value, and teach. ~ Sam Storms, Note to Self, Foreword (12)

Tolerate nothing in your life that might diminish your hunger for God's Word. And apply it with vigor and spiritual energy!  ~ Sam Storms, Note to Self, Foreword (19)

The bigger and more biblical your understanding of who Jesus is, the more likely he is to be such an object of love and adoration that the idols that aim at capturing your attention and swaying your allegiance will lose their power. ~ Joe Thorn, Note To Self, "Jesus is Big" (47)

It is the gospel that allows you to be real. It admits us all as sinners and establishes us all as saints. ~ Joe Thorn, Note to Self, "Stop Pretending" (68)

Repentance requires a daily intentionality. Repentance is both an attitude and an action. It is more than being sorry for sin, and it is more than cutting out a bad habit. ~ Joe Thorn, Note To Self, "Repent" (99)

Theology is not meant merely to be known, but to be made known. This means the theology you have developed is not finished until it is articulated and spoken for others to hear. ~ Joe Thorn, Note to Self, "Theology Talks" (119)

It is a folly also not to worship God, when we acknowledge his existence; it is our wisdom then to worship him. To deny him worship is as great a folly as to deny his being. ~ Stephen Charnock, The Existence and Attributes of God, "Discourse I: On the Existence of God (87)

A God forgotten is as good as no God to us. ~ Stephen Charnock, The Existence and Attributes of God, "Discourse I: On The Existence of God" (88)

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Taste and See: Exodus

What do the Israelites do in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy? Well, I suppose there is more than one right answer. You could say they do nothing but complain--or grumble. You could also say they do nothing but disobey. With brief moments where they do lip service to the Lord. Where they promise to love the Lord and serve Him always. Moses gets impatient. Aaron gets impatient. (Though I'm still confused as to why Aaron went along with creating the golden calf.) And God gets impatient. And ANGRY. And honestly is it hard to see why God and Moses got so angry? There is a certain pattern to everything. God does something wonderful, miraculous, amazing. Yet it isn't enough--it's never enough--and the people complain and disobey. God scolds them, forgives them, commands them to obey, to keep his commandments and laws, and then he goes on providing for them, the people take God's forgiveness--his mercy--for granted, etc.

• The Jewish people are enslaved by the Egyptians (for generations).
• God sends a deliverer named Moses to lead them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land.
• Moses' "tricks" fail to impress Pharaoh and his sorcerers
• They get mad at Moses and complain because their work load has increased.
• God uses Moses to display His glory. These "plagues" are signs for the Egyptians and the Israelites.
• The plagues increase in intensity, going from annoying to BAD, BAD, SUPER-BAD.
• The tenth "plague" is the death of all firstborn sons. (Exodus Chapter 11)
• God makes a distinction between Israelites and Egyptians. He provides a way. He gives the Israelites a way to be saved. He will "pass over" them in his wrath and destruction. The blood of their lambs on their doorposts will save them. 
• Pharaoh says they can go--but he changes his mind later.
• God through Moses parts the Red Sea and allows his people to cross over safely. 
• God causes the Egyptians to follow them--but only so far--before they are destroyed. This is a show he's putting on for his people. (Exodus 14)
• The people praise God. They sing. They dance. They rejoice. They give God glory. (Exodus 15)
• They complain about not having water. God gives them water. (Exodus 15:22-27)

So we get to chapter sixteen...what do we find the Israelites doing?

The Israelites said to them, If only we had died by the LORD's hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted. Instead, you brought us into this wilderness to make this whole assembly die of hunger. Exodus 16:3

So God gives them "bread of heaven" (manna). God gives them meat--quail. God continues to provide for their needs--every day, every night.

Yet despite God giving them exactly what they need--when they need it--they bitterly complain time and time and time again. They are bitter and angry and foolish and persistent in their grumbling and complaining and murmuring. They just refuse to see God as he is. It's like they're blind to God's blessings, blind to God's goodness, blind to God's character. They've witnessed God acting in incredible ways--in supernatural ways--in unprecedented ways--what other "god" can compare to THEIR God, their deliverer?--yet they don't trust him or know him or love him. They don't want to be under God's authority. They don't want to submit to God, to obey God, to listen to Him. To go where He leads.

Reading Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy, reading about their disobedience and rebellion, reading about their foolish complaints, is almost sickening. It in fact becomes sickening when you realize how similar most of us (if not all of us) still are to the ancient Israelites. Do we do a better job of it? Do we rebel against God? Do we reject His ways for our ways?  Do we complain day and night? Do we refuse to trust God--in the little things--even though we trust him for the BIG things like salvation? Does God bless us and we turn around and complain?

I recently read Joe Thorn's Note To Self. And I read his chapter entitled "Stop Complaining."

Dear Self,

Let's get something straight. You complain, and you know it. You complain in the car, in your home, at church, and about a number of different things. The problem with your complaining is that you do not see it as a problem. You view it as harmless venting. You believe you are just stating facts, that a certain circumstance is frustrating. Your justification of complaining is truly unfortunate, because it certainly bothers God. The reason you complain is the reason it is wrong.

You complain because you misunderstand (or just miss altogether) the grace you have received and the purposes of God in your life. You misunderstand the grace you have received by not recognizing it and receiving it with gratitude. Life, breath, and all of God's provisions for your life are acts of his kindness and are truly wonderful, and yet they all seem to disappear when the small inconveniences of life appear.

In most of your complaining you miss the good purposes of God for your life--purposes he has made clear. "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God." (Rom. 8:28 NASB). This truth should remain a constant meditation, particularly in a world filled with frustration, frailty, and failure. Though we are not always aware of the particular ways in which God causes all things to work out for our good, we have this promise, and it should be enough to challenge and conquer our complaining spirit.

And no, you do not get a pass because you can handle the big problems in life with this promise but not the small ones. Perhaps when sickness, death, and affliction come into your life, you run to God and his promises and find comfort that gives peace and patience. Maybe it is just the small stuff that you sweat. So what is the big deal? Everything! In fact, your complaining about the small stuff is more dangerous than complaining about the big, because life is made up of the small stuff. Tragedies punctuate periods of your life, but it is the smaller inconveniences that make up the bulk of your existence, and this is what most people will see you handle. Those situations are the most obvious testing ground of your faith. If God's grace is big enough for you to handle the big problems, why isn't it enough for you to walk meekly through the smaller issues?

Perhaps the lesson is that you haven't driven the gospel deep enough into your heart and mind. Otherwise it would bear fruit precisely where you need it. Are you complaining today? Consider the grace of God in all of life, and in the gospel particularly. Be assured of his purpose in all things inconvenient and tragic, and you will find the cure for complaining. (109-110)

Is it harsh? Is it a little too harsh? Perhaps. At the very least it makes you think, makes you consider. Am I complaining too much? Why am I complaining again? Do I really not trust God to provide for me? To see me through life? What does complaining say about my relationship to God? Is it making me a weaker witness for Him? Or is my complaining just a bad habit? What do I really mean when I complain? Is it all talk--or does it reveal more about me than I'd like to think? Should I be praying instead of complaining? Should I be taking my cares to Christ, asking Him for help, for guidance, for peace? Should I be using my trials, my frustrations to grow closer to Him?

Human nature is human nature. Open up the Bible and you can see that clearly. People behave the way they've always behaved. They may not dress the same, their customs may have changed, but if you go down deep enough, to the basics, you'll find the Bible still reflects human nature--as we know it, as we experience it--in ourselves, in our families, in our communities. The Bible is ever-relevant. It shows us who we are. It shows us who God is.


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Taste and See: Jeremiah 29:11-13

It's getting to be graduation season again. And it seems at least to me that there is one passage that gets used--or misused--every year. That passage would be Jeremiah 29:11-13:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (NIV)

I think superficially you can read that passage and get the warm and fuzzies. Oh how lovely, oh how wonderful. What a great passage to share with those getting a fresh start in life. Appropriate for those graduating high school or college--undergraduate or graduate. What a great verse to give to those looking for a new job. But. It's not always quoted in enough context--at least enough context to suit me. Sometimes we just see Jeremiah 29:11: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Context matters. Trust me. Who was the original audience? Jeremiah was writing to the Jewish exiles in Babylon. They'd been taken from their homes. They were in a strange land, a foreign land. Perhaps they weren't sure why God had allowed them to be taken captive. Perhaps they hadn't given much thought to God and his commandments before captivity. Perhaps they weren't even turning their hearts towards God at the time Jeremiah was writing. At least not yet. And Jeremiah wasn't promising them an immediate deliverance either. He was telling them--you'll be there seventy years! But it's okay because those years are part of God's plan for you. The situation may seem dark to you, you may not see much hope in being where you are right now. But God does have a plan for you. You have not been forgotten.

Also, you should probably know that there had been a false prophet writing to the exiles. A so-called prophet promising the captives quick freedom. A prophet going around contradicting everything the LORD had been telling Jeremiah. So Jeremiah was writing them the truth, telling them to believe and trust in God.

There were two groups of people Jeremiah was addressing. He was addressing those still in the land--those that had NOT gone into exile. And this was a rebellious, sinful, stubborn group of people let me tell you. And he was addressing those that had gone into exile. These two groups are best seen in contrast. God had told Jeremiah that one group would be destroyed, one group would be saved. One group receives mercy, the other group receives justice.

Jeremiah 29:15-19:

You may say, "The LORD has raised up prophets for us in Babylon," but this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David's throne and all the people who remain in this city, your fellow citizens who did not go with you into exile--yes, this is what the LORD Almighty says, "I will send the sword, famine and plague against them and I will make them like figs that are so bad they cannot be eaten. I will pursue them with the sword, famine and plague and will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth, a curse and an object of horror, of scorn and reproach, among all the nations where I drive them. For they have not listened to my words," declares the LORD, "words that I sent to them again and again by my servants the prophets. And you exiles have not listened either," declares the LORD. (NIV)

Chances are that at some point in you've life you've encountered Jeremiah 29:11! But how many are equally familiar with God's wrath on display just a few verses down? In fact just one verse separates the two.

If you read Jeremiah 1-29, you'll get the big picture. Or most of it at least. If this is your first time through Jeremiah, then maybe you'll need some encouragement to keep going. It isn't exactly easy to love Jeremiah.

There are a few things more I'd like to say. First, this one verse shouldn't be seen as a generic come-one-come-all promise. Can God use this verse to work in the lives of believers? Yes! Absolutely. Second, I'd be careful of where you place your focus. If your focus is on the first half then there may be a problem. Specifically--as the NIV phrases it--plans to prosper and plans for hope and a future. Because if you're thinking in terms of wealth and prosperity, in terms of having a good life, a great life, a perfect life where you get exactly what you want when you want it, a problem-free life where everything always goes your way, then I'm not sure what to say. For God did not promise us an easy life. God never promised that we'd always be happy and comfortable. God wants to shape us, transform us, make us holy. He wants obedience. He wants our hearts and minds and lives.

I feel the better focus of this promise--of this passage--is on the second half. "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Let that passage move you--inspire you--to seek God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your understanding. Let seeking God come first in your life. Let God be your priority.

So is there a passage I'd recommend instead? Perhaps Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (NIV)

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Taste and See: Deuteronomy 6:4-9

In Sunday School, we're reading the book of Deuteronomy. Now I've mentioned this once or twice before, but I just LOVE the book of Deuteronomy. I find it a fascinating book--a book with great significance in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. One of the most important passages is Deuteronomy 6:4-9.

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (ESV)

Several translations (NLT, NKJV, HCSB) translate it in this way: You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

Moses writes, "These words that I command you today shall be on your heart." Now I'm not a big fan of the New Living Translation--but I think it helps clarify this text a little. It reads,

"And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up." 

We find in Matthew 22, in Mark 12, in Luke 10 this command repeated as the GREAT commandment.

Matthew 22:34-40 reads,

"But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." (ESV)

Mark 12:28-34 reads,

"And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?" Jesus answered, "The most important is 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." And the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions. (ESV)

Luke 10:25-37 reads,

"And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" And he answered, "You shall love your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live." But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance, a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed him mercy. And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise." (ESV)

So these two commandments are the MOST important lessons to learn for ourselves--no matter our age. And the MOST important lessons to pass on to others--those of all ages. The original passage stressed the importance of passing down faith--passing down belief in the LORD, in the Lord's commandments, in the Lord's ways--to children. Faith is to be a FAMILY thing. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, cousins-- everyone--is to be involved in teaching little ones to follow God. How can we do this? Can we do this? Is there a reason that there are few *good* examples of parenthood in the Bible? What do you think? What are some ways parents can teach their children about God? About how to WALK with God and TALK with God?

I think the first step is that you have to have it yourself. You've got to have a personal faith in Jesus Christ. You've got to have a relationship with Him yourself before you can pass along lessons to your children that will be of spiritual worth. You've got to be abiding in Him, walking with Him, growing in truth and grace yourself.

The Bible has to have a place in your life before it can have much of a place in your family life or in your children's lives. Little ones have to see their parents (or parent) reading the Bible, praying to God, praising God. God has to be real to you before He can become real to them.

Don't underestimate the power of prayer, the power of God. God wants you to know Him, to seek Him, to love Him. He wants you to delight in Him. So pray for yourself--for grace, for love, for wisdom and understanding. Pray to know Him better, to love Him better. Pray for wisdom and guidance and strength. And pray for others too. Pray for your family members, for your friends. Pray that they will come to faith. Pray that they will come to love the LORD with all their hearts, minds, and souls. Pray for your little ones--pray that they will grow in grace and truth. Pray that they will love God. Pray that they will love the Bible. Pray that they will seek him always and delight in Him.

Note, I'm not saying you have to be perfect before you can start sharing with your children or grandchildren, the little ones--and not so little ones--in your life. You don't have to reach a state of holiness, of sinlessness, before you can become a role model, an example. We all make mistakes. We all stumble. We all sin. No one is perfect but Christ. There's no hiding imperfections from those that love us, that know us. No, God uses us where we are.

Don't have kids yourself? Consider becoming involved in children's ministry. You may find that there is a child that does need you in their life. You may have a lot to give, to share.

Do you love the Lord with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind? Do you want to? What would loving God that much look like? If your heart and mind and soul were full of love for God how would you live life? If you truly loved your neighbor as yourself what would that look like? How different would your life be if you gave love as freely to others as God gives to you?

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Taste and See: Are you an optimist?

Before you answer that, I'd like to place my question into context. I was reading R.A. Torrey's How To Pray, a work originally published in 1900. I'll be reviewing that later this afternoon. But. I came across this passage.

If facing the facts is to be called a pessimist, I am willing to be called a pessimist. If in order to be an optimist, one must shut his eyes and call black white, and error truth, and sin righteousness, and death life, I don't want to be called an optimist. But I am an optimist all the same. Pointing out the real condition will lead to a better condition. (69)

"Facing facts" equals seeing things the way God sees things.

I am a big believer that sharing the good news--the gospel--has to begin with the bad news. If Jesus Christ is to be confessed as Savior (or Lord and Savior), people have to KNOW (in a very personal way) what Jesus is saving them from. They have to KNOW that they are desperately in need of a Savior. Proclaiming Jesus as a way to be happy and healthy and wise that is NOT the gospel. Holding up Jesus as the ultimate example of a good man, a good teacher, that is NOT the gospel either.

Reading the Bible challenges us as readers to "face facts." The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to convict, to discipline, as well as to encourage, comfort, and transform. Hebrews 4:12 reads: "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (NASB) Yes, reading the Bible can make you feel good. If you're hurting, suffering, needing to find refuge in the God who sees, the God who comforts, you'll find it in the Word. You will. There are promises and treasures to be found. But. The Bible isn't only for feeling cozy and happy and comfortable. The Bible calls us to act, to believe, to grow. God uses the Bible--and the Spirit--to discipline us, to challenge us, to call us out of our comfort zones. He uses the Word to make us feel uncomfortable. He uses the Word to bring us to new awareness. He uses the Word to convict us.

Sometimes we get so focused into making God in our own image. We pick and choose passages from the Bible to support OUR view of God. Or--if OUR view of God isn't to be found in Genesis through Revelation--we do our best to convince ourselves and others around us that the Bible is irrelevant. That the Bible isn't the Word of God. The Bible isn't the first or last authority. Becoming insistent  that these verses are true--those verses aren't true. Who's telling them what's true and what's not true? Sometimes they are deciding for themselves. (This feels right to me.) Sometimes they are under the influence of others--other teachers or preachers or authors.

But we've got to realize--at one point or another--that God is God is God. We are NOT God. We cannot reshape God into who we want him to be. We can't make God obey our rules. We've got to realize that 'who God is' is revealed in the Bible, in the Word of God. God reveals to us--to us--things about Himself as Father, Son, and Spirit. God speaks to us in His Word. God uses the Word--and the Spirit--to renew our minds, to transform us into who He wants us to be, needs us to be.

Isaiah 64:8

But now, O LORD, You are our Father,  

We are the clay, and You our potter;

And all of us are the work of Your hand. (NASB)

Facing facts isn't a one-time deal either. Yes, the conversion experience is one time that calls for us to face facts. To acknowledge the weight of our sin, our need for a Savior, to express or confess our trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord, as our Savior. To put our lives in God's hands. To follow, obey, trust, love, serve. Romans 12:1 calls us to present our bodies as living sacrifices. We have been delivered from slavery to sin to slavery to righteousness. We've been called from death to life. We've been called to take on Christ's yoke (Matthew 11:28-30).

Every time we open the Bible, every time we read Scripture, there's an opportunity there. God can speak to us through the Word, through His Spirit. Think about it! God can use the Scripture to minister to us personally. Have you noticed that one name for the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth?!

So Scripture is one tool God uses to prune us, discipline us, love us, transform us, strengthen and comfort us. But it isn't the only way. (Though both ways rely on the Spirit.) Preaching is the second way. Expository preaching especially serves the cause of Christ. Preachers proclaiming the Word of God. Reading the Word aloud. God calls preachers and teachers to preach sound doctrine, to bring to their listeners THE TRUTH. The difference between true prophets and false prophets in the Old Testament and false teachers and true teachers in the New Testament is that false leaders always, always, always shape their message to please their audience. They tell people what they want to hear not what they need to hear. They don't think it's important for anyone to "face facts."

2 Timothy 4:1-4

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. (NASB)

Is it better to be safe and comfortable and cozy in ignorance? Or is it better to hear the truth, to know the truth, to have the chance to let the truth set you free? 

In John 8:31-36, we read:

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." They answered Him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved by anyone; how is that You say, 'You will become free'?" Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. (NASB)

In John 14:6, we read:

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me. (NASB)

And in Galatians 5:1, we read:

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. (NASB)

It isn't always easy to welcome truth into our lives. Sometimes it's easier to block out certain truths about ourselves. The temptation to write our own truths--while ignoring God's truths--is very real. But is the truth necessary? Can the truth mend as well as wound? I believe that the truth can heal, transform, and restore.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Taste and See: Knowledge of Good and Evil

Psalm 34:8 says, "O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" But not every believer makes the time, takes the time, to see if it is so. Not every believer spends time in the Word. That is one of the reasons I started Operation Actually Read Bible. To encourage people (myself mainly) to read the Bible, to abide in The Word, to spend time reading, meditating, studying Scripture. While I've been fairly consistent in sharing my progress reading--mainly through my Sunday Salon posts. I don't often journal what I'm reading about, what I'm learning, what God is showing me. (I'm not sure that this is absolutely necessary. But. I do know that I like to read posts like that on others' blogs. So maybe it's time I tried to doing a little something myself?)

So, I was reading in Romans--one of my favorite, favorite books. And I had come to the sixteenth chapter. I'll be honest. While I spend time reflecting and meditating and studying Romans 1-15, I'd never really given much thought to the last chapter of Romans because on the surface--at least--it's all about Paul greeting various people. But. This time I noticed verse 19. "For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil." (Emphasis mine). It goes on to say in verse 20, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you." (I include verse 20 not so much it "spoke" to me then but because of something I realized much later. Mainly the connection with Genesis 3:15. But also because it later occurred to me that God's grace is sufficient. See 2 Corinthians 12:9.)

There's so much in that half of verse! Do you think it is harder to be wise in what is good OR harder to be innocent in what is evil? Or are they equally challenging, equally demanding? On the one hand, to be wise in what is good means abiding with Him, spending time in His Word, walking closely with our Savior and Lord. For only God is good. (Mark 10:18) And to fear the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. (Psalm 111:10) It calls for us to commit our hearts and minds and bodies to the Lord. To live for Christ. To make more of Him and less of ourselves. On the other hand, we are born having a sinful nature. Sin comes easy to us. (You can read Romans 1-7 if you don't believe me.) So to be innocent in evil? Well, that takes some commitment too. For how easy it is to lose our innocence--depending on how you define innocence--just in our daily contact with the world. (You don't even have to leave your home to face worldly temptation.)  How hard it is to unsee something we shouldn't have seen. To unhear something we shouldn't have heard. (Not to mention "unthinking" or "unsaying" something!) How difficult it becomes to stay away from something that we know is "bad" for us. How easy it is to say, it won't hurt if just this once I read that book, see that movie, hear that album, play that video game, etc. How easy to say, I'm not really addicted to that sin--or that sin, or that sin, or that sin. I could stop any time. (They may even try to prove it by giving it up for Lent. Showing that they know it is wrong to begin with, perhaps? Showing that deep down they know they should give it up completely?) It brings to mind Robert Boyd Munger's short little work called MY HEART CHRIST'S HOME. Just seven or so pages, you can download a pdf and read it yourself if you like.

So let's go back to the start of it all. Go back to Genesis 3, the message of the serpent: "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Eve (and Adam, I suppose) assumed that this was a good thing. That knowledge was knowledge was knowledge. That knowing about evil would be a good thing. But it was a lie that led to disobedience, a lie that led to the blame game, a lie that led to pride, a lie that led to shame and guilt, a lie that led to pain and suffering. Not to mention death. So maybe it is harder to be innocent in what is evil.

But. God is there for us. God has provided a way. He is able to renew our hearts and minds. He is able to cleanse us from sin. He has taken God's wrath--the wrath we deserved for our sins--so we could take HIS righteousness.

Romans 5:6-11 reads, For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person--though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life! And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have now received this reconciliation through Him.

Romans 12:2 reads, Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

And then, of course, there is Romans 8. It is hard to know exactly what to quote from that wonderful, wonderful chapter! But. I went with Romans 8:24-39.

 ²⁴For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
 ²⁵But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
 ²⁶Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
 ²⁷And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
 ²⁸And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
 ²⁹For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
 ³⁰Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
 ³¹What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
 ³²He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
 ³³Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
 ³⁴Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
 ³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
 ³⁶As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
 ³⁷Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
 ³⁸For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
 ³⁹Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:24-39, King James Version)

So what do you think? Do you think believers struggle more with "being wise in what is good" or with "being innocent in what is evil"? Do you think being discerning is a good thing? a necessary thing? Do you think growing in knowledge of God, growing in relationship with God, helps you fight your sin nature, fight temptation? Have you found the Word of God to be the sword of the Spirit? (Ephesians 6:17)

*Psalm 34:8 from the New American Standard Version.
** Romans 16:19-20 from the New American Standard Version.
***Genesis 3:5 from the New American Standard Version
****Romans 12:2 from the Holman Christian Standard Bible
*****Romans 5:6-11 from the Holman Christian Standard Bible
******Romans 8 from the King James Version

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible