Something Greater

A Devout Life: Part 4 "Right-ness" is not Righteousness I use the word, "right-ness" to refer to my own personal filter of life, my own sense of what competence or success means. "Right-ness" is wrong, I believe. Instead, I should pursue "Righteousness". But you, Timothy, man of God: Run for your life from all this. Pursue a righteous life — a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, and courtesy. Run hard and fast in the faith. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:11-12 MSG) Rather than pursuing a life built upon standards of my own creation, standards which compare myself to others, real or imagined, standards of "right-ness", Paul would have me pursue a life built upon God's standards: "righteousness". RIGHTEOUS: dikaiosyne "dik-ah-yos-OO-nay" (equity of character or act; Christian justification);...

A Devout Life: Part 3 That Which Threatens We entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless... (1 Timothy 6:7-8 MSG) What are the negative forces that threaten our contentment and satisfaction in life? Paul focuses on money, or the lack of money: PENNILESS: oudeis "oo-DICE" (not even one, none, nobody, nothing); from oude (no however, neither, nor, not even) and heis (one); from ou (no or not) and de (but, and) Paul is speaking to people who fear being penniless, or being without any source of gaining wealth in the form of money, valuable property, influence or security. For these people, money is the only sure way to guarantee such poverty. Money is only a measure of one's wealth. Money is a way to quantify the value of our time, strength, influence and property. Paul reminds us that we are born with nothing of our own making. At the moment of birth our time, strength, influence and property has little physical, measureable value. Any personal...

A Devout Life: Part 2 Wealth of Devotion A devout life does bring wealth, but it's the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that's enough. (1 Timothy 6:6-8 MSG) Paul describes "wealth" as something other than money, property or power over others. For Paul, a devout life is the "rich simplicity of being yourself before God". The English Standard Version translates this verse a bit differently: "Godliness with contentment is great gain." CONTENTMENT: autarkeia "ow-TAR-ki-ah (self-satisfaction, contentedness or competence); from autarkes (self-complacent or contented); from autos (self, through the idea of a baffling or backward wind) and arkeo (to ward off, to avail, or to be satisfactory, through the idea of raising a barrier) This "simplicity of being yourself before God", or "godly cont...

A Devout Life: Part 1 The Sufficiency of a Simple Life A devout life does bring wealth, but it's the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that's enough. (1 Timothy 6:6-8 MSG) What is a "devout" life? DEVOUT: eusebeia "yoo-SEB-i-ah" (piety; specially the gospel scheme); from eusebes (well-reverent or pious); from eu (good or well) and sebo (to revere or adore) "Devout" at its root means to revere or adore, to feel deep respect or admiration for something, to love and respect someone deeply. The Greek root word is translated as "devout", "religious", or "worship". A devout life, then, means a life lived reverently towards God, deeply respectful for His character and work, enjoying and adoring Him as Creator, Master, Savior, Companion, and Lover. Paul is challenging an epidemic ...

John 18: Jesus Knows, Jesus Keeps, Jesus Controls Too many times my days seem like a blur of tension, expecting something to be difficult or disappointing, struggling with things that are difficult and disappointing, or looking back with resentment at things that were difficult and disappointing. In other words, I often act as if I am living alone, with no guidance or support from heaven. I act as if I know little about God as Creator and Father. I stress out as if Jesus were not my Lord, and as if I had no divine Helper. I act as if I'm ignorant. From this passage we can see how false those emotions are, and we can draw three big ideas about Jesus: Jesus knows everything that will happen, and all that belongs to him he keeps, and he controls all events. Big Idea #1: Jesus knows all that will happen. John 18:4 (ESV) Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” KNOWING: oida "OY-da" (to see, li...

Isaiah 20: Dismayed and Ashamed What's gone before... Isaiah described a future condition of Egypt, a time of major loss, violence and confusion, ending in a radical transformation of their religious foundation. Egypt, with Assyria, would worship the God of Israel. Now, in Chapter 20... The LORD commands Isaiah to walk naked and barefoot for three years as a shocking sign against Egypt and Ethiopia. Isaiah 20:1-6 (ESV) In the year that the commander in chief, who was sent by Sargon the king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and fought against it and captured it — at that time the LORD spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet," and he did so, walking naked and barefoot. Then the LORD said, "As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush, so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite...

Isaiah 19, Part Two: In That Day Isaiah 19:16-25 What's gone before... In the previous 15 verses of this chapter Isaiah declared an oracle ("massa", a heavy burden or a song of doom) concerning Egypt. The LORD would stir up conflict with the nation, confounding their leadership, bringing devestation to Egypt's political, economic and geographic foundations. Now, in Part Two... Isaiah repeats the phrase "In that day" six times in this passage, declaring six specific events or conditions that would befall the Egyptians when the LORD brings war to their nation. In that day the Egyptians will be like women... In that day there will be five cities... In that day there will be an altar... In that day the Egyptians will know... In that day there will be a highway... In that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Assyria... IN THAT DAY: yom "yome" (to be hot; a day, as the warm hours of daylight, whether sunrise to sunset, or fr...