Opus 2025-198: Enduring Promises

The Bible is full of promises that God made to Israel, and by extension, for his people today, which would be the church.  One of the promises that people love the quote is,

2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV) If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

What is amazing about this is that every time I’ve heard this used in a sermon or a teaching session the context of the passage is totally ignored.  This promise of renewal and revival was given to Solomon right after he dedicated the temple.  In other words, this promise of renewal was given at the high point of Israel’s history.  This was not a call to repentance declared in the midst of apostasy and degeneration.  This was a statement made when God’s house had finally been finished and sanctified for worship.

God gives promises.  His promises are not limited to the time in which they are offered.  His promises are looking down through history, based on knowing what people are like, and how we live our lives.  In the previous verses, God points out His awareness of what will probably come.  In the verse just before this, He lays out the possibility that He might be forced to put Israel in time out.  He might be forced to send pestilence and disease and weakness.  And the promise is that when that happens God is waiting for our repentance and is ready to restore.

I think of other promises given that extend over millennium.  I think of Genesis 3:15 where God promises to send the seed of Adam to crush the head of Satan.  I think of the promises in the prophets of a new covenant and a new heart.

Some promises are more quickly fulfilled, but also have an extended lifespan.  I think of the promise of the Holy Spirit, and how He was to come at Pentecost.  Although that was the birth of the church and a new age in spiritual life, the promise of the filling of the spirit is still extend it to us today.  So you have the promise then that is still alive today.

Then you have promises that are just almost perpetual motion machine.  I think of I John 1:9 and how we are promised forgiveness for confessing our sins.

Promises abound.  Check out the expectations for application and rejoice.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-197: Family Feud

I was watching an interview with Neil Ferguson and Konstantin Kisin where the statement was made that generation Z is not able to match up and have families because of the cost of housing.  It sounds good.  It sounded good when my children bought homes and provided grandchildren.  It sounded good when I was young and the first born arrived.  I think it sounded good when my parents were young.

By sounding good I don’t mean it is true.  It means it is a good excuse.

Investigate this a little bit.  Houses are expensive but I don’t think the problem is the cost of housing.  Children are a lot of work but they are also a lot of reward.  I don’t think it is an economic problem.  It is a moral and cultural problem where a narcissistic group wants everything and wants it perfect so they’re not willing to risk mortgages, relationships and the pregnancies.  They are not willing to make the sacrifices.  They are not willing to lower their sights on the number of bedrooms and the logos on their cars.

Fifty years ago I heard how a family could not survive on one salary.  I have heard it on a regular basis ever since.  Somehow, in spite of that common wisdom we did it.  How?  Can you spell “used cars”, “yard sales”, “thrift stores”, “hand me downs” and “stifled pride”?  Today it is working for my children.

I am humble enough to admit it might not work out for everyone.  I am discerning enough to know that most people won’t try.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-196: The Choir of Pentecost

I was sitting beginning to contemplate eternity.  A bunch of us old folks were sitting around speculating on how glorious heaven would be and we had a lot of interesting suggestions.  We talked about whom we would see and would we recognize them?  How would you find family members?

Being an introvert, I said I wouldn’t really worry about being able to find my loved ones out of the millions of individuals in heaven.  I said I would probably just find a nice quiet corner and read a book.  They were aghast.  I don’t think they understand how glorious the library of heaven will be.

This morning I got to thinking along another rabbit trail and comparing Pentecost to the heavenly host serenading God.  Lots of people have the wrong idea about Pentecost.  They think of it as a miracle of speaking in tongues, which is not really the case.  It’s more a matter of hearing in tongues.  Consider,

Acts 2:6 (KJV) Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

Do you have a picture of people from all over the Roman empire and each of them thinking in a different home language.  And they all heard the sermon by Peter in their own language.  Fast forward to eternity.  Can you picture of the celestial choir?  We hear about how we’re going to be singing “Holy, holy, holy”.  I’m wondering if when it gets right down to it, each of us will be hearing a different song, depending on what our favorite type of music is.  Or perhaps it will be a whole new type of music, different for each one of us.  God’s ability to do things, to multitask, is incredible.

Just some more nonsense speculation.  In reality eternity is going to be so glorious that it would blow our socks off if we still had socks.

homo unius libri