Conflicting Message?

This is the kind of stuff that drives me a little nuts about Scripture.  Take a look.

1 Timothy 1:17(NKJV)

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Jude 1:25(NKJV)

    To God our Savior,     Who alone is wise,     Be glory and majesty,     Dominion and power,     Both now and forever.      Amen.

Here are two examples of Scripture that tell us that God is the only wise one.

Now compare that to these two Scriptures.

Proverbs 4:5-7(NKJV)

    Get wisdom! Get understanding!     Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

    Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;     Love her, and she will keep you.

    Wisdom is the principal thing;     Therefore get wisdom.     And in all your getting, get understanding.

Wait a minute.  Why try to get wisdom when Scripture tells us that only God is wise?  What is the point?

Or this Scripture.

James 3:13(NKJV)

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 

Well if we take the first two Scriptures at face value wouldn't the answer to James be "no one is wise"? 

This may sound like a rationalization but here is how I deal with this apparent dichotomy.  I think that in the first two examples it is more of a rhetorical flourish.  A way to honor God.  In the case of Proverbs I think that is a Scripture to live by.  Always seek wisdom, knowledge, and understanding….but always keep it in the perspective that wisdom comes from God.  Always compare your "wisdom" to Scripture to make sure you are on the right track.  If we do that then I think we can answer yes to the Scripture from James.  Make sense?

Forgiveness isn't automatic according to Scripture

Luke 17:3(NKJV)

Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 

I found this interesting.  It goes against what many modern day Christians believe.  Christians today think that we shouldn't rebuke anyone because "who are we to judge".  Many modern Christians also believe that forgiveness should be automatic.

Compare that to what Jesus said.

Wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

I find this scripture to be interesting.  What do you think it means? 

Matthew 10:16(NKJV)

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. 

I think the "harmless as doves" phrase is one that some people use to try and say Christians should be pacifists.  If it was a standalone phrase I might be persuaded but taken in the entirety of the verse I have a different interpretation. 

Jesus is telling the disciples that He will be sending them out into a dangerous situation (sheep among wolves).  Then Jesus tells them how to survive that situation.  To me what it is saying is don't appear to be a threat but be totally aware of what is going on around you and be ready to strike like a serpent if need be. 

Now some might say I am reading more into this verse than what is there.  That is a fair criticism.  I base my interpretation on a knowledge of the whole Bible.  Here is what I mean.

We know that Jesus Himself got angry and resorted to physical violence.  Remember overturning the money changers?  So Jesus isn't opposed to violence.  He just uses it sparingly.

We know that in Luke 22 Jesus tells His disciples to arm up. 

Luke 22:35-36(NKJV)

And He said to them, “When I sent you without money bag, knapsack, and sandals, did you lack anything?” So they said, “Nothing.”

Then He said to them, “But now, he who has a money bag, let him take it, and likewise a knapsack; and he who has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. 

When Jesus sent them out the first time Jesus said depend on God for everything.  The second time Jesus let them know that they were going to have to take care of themselves to a certain extent including defending themselves with a sword.  So Scripture indicates that Jesus believes in self-defense.

Therefore I find it illogical to believe that in this case Jesus is telling them to be wise as serpents but not to defend themselves by being harmless as doves.  I think my interpretation is much more logical based on all of Scripture.

Estate Planning

Here is an admonition to do your estate planning.  The musician Prince would have done well to listen to this.

Psalms 49:10(NKJV)

    For he sees wise men die;      Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish,     And leave their wealth to others.

Prince died without much of an estate plan.  So instead of leaving what he had worked for all his life to the people and causes that he chose, the government will get the biggest share of his estate.  All because he didn't plan.

As a financial planner I have had clients who refused to do their estate planning.  Their attitude was "let the kids fight over it, I don't care".  What does God call a person like that?

Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish

Excellent Advice from Jeremiah!

I think this is excellent advice.  Here is how I interpret it.

I think this is saying no matter what your strength is; be it wisdom, might, riches, or whatever; always recognize that your strength comes from God.  He is the one who provided that strength to you so don't be overly proud of your strengths. 

We may have done a lot to capitalize on our strengths that we were given such as study hard, etc; but we wouldn't have had the seed of that strength if it weren't for God.  Make sense?

Jeremiah 9:23-24(NKJV)

Thus says the Lord:      “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,     Let not the mighty man glory in his might,     Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;

    But let him who glories glory in this,     That he understands and knows Me,     That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.      For in these I delight,” says the Lord.

A second selection of Scripture proving Peter wrong. Tuesday, June 20, 2017

I touched on this a few weeks ago but I just ran across some Scripture that I believe backs up what I wrote back then.  What I am referring to is this Scripture by Peter.

2 Peter 3:9(NKJV)

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

And as I wrote before, Peters statement is at odds with what Jesus said.  Jesus said that he spoke in parables specifically so that some people wouldn't get it and would not be saved.

Matthew 13:11(NKJV)

He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 

Now I ran across these verses in Luke. 

Luke 13:23-30(NKJV)

Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, 

“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 

When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ 

then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ 

But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ 

There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. 

They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. 

And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.”

Now if God truly wanted everyone saved Jesus could simply open the door back up and let everyone in.  But He doesn't do that does He?  Nope.  Jesus makes perfectly clear that there will come a point where it is too late! 

So where does that leave you dear reader?  Are you ready for when the door closes?  Have you invited Jesus into your life?  There is no better time than now to do it.  Just have a conversation with Jesus.  Let Him know where you are at in life and what you need.  "Dear Jesus…."

Interesting concept isn't it?

Proverbs 20:18(NKJV)

    Plans are established by counsel;      By wise counsel wage war.

There are many who say Jesus is a pacifist.  I say that can't be.  I remind you of the principal expressed by Jesus below.

Luke 11:17(NKJV)

But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. 

So in the first verse we have God telling the people that when they wage war, be smart about it.  Notice there is no condemnation of war.  Now if Jesus really were a pacifist that would put Him at odds with God and as Jesus Himself said, a house divided cannot stand.