⁵ This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—
⁶ if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.
⁷ For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain,
⁸ but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.

⁹ He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
¹⁰ For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party.
¹¹ They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.
¹² One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”
¹³ This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,
¹⁴ not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth.
¹⁵ To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.
¹⁶ They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

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I find myself involved in a growing Men’s Ministry at my church.  I love being involved but I often feel like I am the last person in the world that should be leading a class or helping.

Please don’t take this as false modesty.  I am really a bad choice.  The scripture above proves my point.  Unfortunately, it also convicts me to keep trying my best.

I get a little embarrassed when I see verse 6, if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.  I know that it’s talking about elders, but I think it applies to any kind of leadership role.

I’m no saint.  I try as a father and a husband, but I don’t get it very right.  Frustrations, lack of effort at times, or bad choices constantly remind me of why I needed to be saved in the first place.

It gets driven home with the verses 7 and 8, For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.

I can start to puff my chest out as I read the list and proclaim that I don’t drink and I’m not a violent guy.  Then the list gets to places I would love to say I fulfill, but then I’m not sure that most of our church elders or even our pastors can say they are upright, holy and disciplined.  Can you?  Or the leaders of your church?

Verses 9 and 10, He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.  For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party, show that we have to lead with the Truth because of the lies that attempt to foil it.  Notice that we are told that the lies come especially from within the church itself!

Only in Christ can I be a leader, and I must realize that it is He who gives me the ability.  Verse 15 confirms that, To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled.  I can’t lead by my own voice, skills, or knowledge.  If I don’t let Him lead through me, I am destined for verse 16, They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

¹²For I will be merciful toward their iniquities,
and I will remember their sins no more."

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In Sunday School class we talked about how much importance there is in a theme that repeated over and over in God’s Word.  I’ve had some things change recently and not posted in a while.  But I feel like I should.

God is one who will not only forgive me, but he forgets.  Something that I am terrible at.  And this is not an isolated verse.  Just look at;

Psalm 103:12

Isaiah 38:17

Isaiah 43:25

Isaiah 55:7

Jeremiah 31:34

Matthew 26:28

I sometimes miss the point that not only does God forgive but he forgets.  He moves past it and awaits true repentance.  He waits for us to turn away from the transgressions and embrace truth.  God also asks that I forgive… and forget.  Something I desperately need his help on if I am to try to walk the path and carry the cross that Christ asked me to.

¹²  So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!

¹³  No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

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A close friend and I were having a conversation about temptation and how it’s possible to be tempted even after we think that the temptation itself has passed.

One comparison we made relates to childhood.  Every child had some activity they would spend a whole day in the summer doing.  Mine was swimming and his was roller-skating, and then when you went to bed that night you felt like you were still in the water or still skating, etc.

I can even remember sometimes enjoying a video game too much and after hours of play having images of the game locked in my head.  Sometimes, you might even dream about the activity.

Maybe for you it’s some other activity.  But the point that we came to asking how much that same type of effect can be going on even subconsciously with a temptation or something we perceive as a little white lie or sin.

What if I am okay, for instance, with looking at other women, or entertain thoughts in my head when I look?  Or what if I constantly am willing to get loud and demanding with my children, and my thoughts at those points are always about how disrespectful and disobedient they are?  Is it possible that if I joke with a close friend about how dumb or lazy or whatever he is on a shared job site over and over again that it may some day lead to harm?  Will it lead me to believe that he is dumb or him to believe that I really think that, even though we always would tell anyone that it’s all in jest?

Maybe there is an opening we make with some of these seemingly not so dangerous habits.  If I constantly tease my wife about her being bad at X and then go to bed that night, what is the equivalent to dreaming about swimming or feeling like your legs are still pushing roller-skates?

I know some would say, ‘I’m not going to cheat on my wife because I notice and look at other women.”  “Or my friends and I at work joke all the time and no one gets their feelings hurt”, but my response would be “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!”

¹⁵ Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
¹⁶ making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
¹⁸ And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,
¹⁹ addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart,
²⁰ giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
²¹ submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

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I lead a Men’s group at my church.  I’ve learned over time that each meeting that I go into requires that I center myself on God’s will.  If I try to come up with the points on the material we are learning that I can ‘wow’ them with or if I try to make sure that I’m coming across as the right man to be in front of the class, I’m failing.

It’s not that those classes where I have my own goals are failures.  They just pale in comparison to the classes where I ask him to use me for his purposes before we start.  In fact, when I ask him, I don’t even have to work hard at it.

Today’s scripture has so many good points, but I think it’s when you look at it as a whole that it really sinks in for me.  Verse 15 makes an obvious statement on being wise and 16 says to make the best use of time.  But the important thing is the description on how to be wise AND make the best use of time.  This is explained in verse 17 when we are told but understand what the will of the Lord is.

And from my experience in leading that class, just makes me realize that verses 18 through 21 aren’t a subject switch.  Instead, it ties together.  For when we do understand the Lord’s will, we are filled with the Spirit.  We can be addressing one another in psalms and hymns and we can make melody to the Lord.  It’s something I have to remind myself of every time we get ready to start class.  I should probably remind myself of it every time I take a breath.

⁷ “Can you find out the deep things of God?
Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?
⁸ It is higher than heaven—what can you do?
Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?
⁹ Its measure is longer than the earth
and broader than the sea.
¹⁰ If he passes through and imprisons
and summons the court, who can turn him back?
¹¹ For he knows worthless men;
when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it?
¹² But a stupid man will get understanding
when a wild donkey’s colt is born a man!

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Webster’s defines relate in the following way;

intransitive verb

1 : to apply or take effect retroactively —usually used with back <the law relates back to the initial date of decision>
2 : to have relationship or connection <the readings relate to his lectures>
3 : to have or establish a relationship <the way a child relates to a teacher>
4 : to respond especially favorably <can’t relate to that kind of music>

We, as God’s children, are to have a relationship with him.  We are to relate to him.  But that is a rather daunting task as shown in the scripture from Job above.  I often wonder how I am supposed to understand anything about God, let alone be able to relate to it.  I find myself looking at verse 12 and just nodding in agreement.

But God provides me a smart little reminder that we can still have a deep and meaningful relationship, and reminds me through His Son that he is more than willing to put things across on my level, so that I might try to understand.

He reminds me with my children.  When I see how closely I am bonded with them and how deep and meaningful the relationship is between us, and then realize just how different we are.  The mind of a child and it’s goals, fears, identity, burdens, and how that child even loves is so different from what I think from moment to moment.

But God shows me a miniature scale version of His tenderness and coming down to His child’s level to relate to me.  I think of how small the difference is between my children and myself when I kneel down to talk to them in a way they can understand.  I realize that the distance is small, because after all only a short span of years and they will stand eye to eye with me and speak and think of the same things.

I’ll never grow into God’s awareness, ability or wisdom like my children will catch up with me.  It makes His kneeling down to my level just that much more amazing and I realize how lucky I am that I can relate to Him.

¹² Princes are hung up by their hands;  no respect is shown to the elders.
¹³ Young men are compelled to grind at the mill, and boys stagger under loads of wood.
¹⁴ The old men have left the city gate, the young men their music.
¹⁵ The joy of our hearts has ceased;  our dancing has been turned to mourning.
¹⁶ The crown has fallen from our head;  woe to us, for we have sinned!
¹⁷ For this our heart has become sick, for these things our eyes have grown dim,
¹⁸ for Mount Zion which lies desolate;  jackals prowl over it.
¹⁹ But you, O Lord, reign forever;  your throne endures to all generations.
²⁰ Why do you forget us forever, why do you forsake us for so many days?
²¹ Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored!  Renew our days as of old
²² unless you have utterly rejected us, and you remain exceedingly angry with us.

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This is the close of Lamentations.  It reminds me of the USA and where we are today.  Reminds me, but by no means compares to where Israel was at the time.  I do think that we, as Americans, have brought our problems on our ourselves.  The bible shows again and again how it happens every time when a people turn from God.

I had never really noticed the possible link to Christ with Princes are hung up by their hands.  I can’t really back this, so I’ll call it ironic, if nothing else.

But there are parts of this scripture that speak to me when I look at my country.  Verses 14-16 talk about how the people react to their current situation.  The last three verses, give me hope that America can come back to God.  Verse 22 says unless you have utterly rejected us and I know that Christ has taught us that he will never reject us when we repent and believe and that he has been the propitiation for our sins.

So I’ll add one little letter, (and a couple of capitals), to verse 21 and say:

Restore US(A) to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored!

⁸ Whoever plans to do evil
will be called a schemer.
⁹ The devising of folly is sin,
and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind.
¹⁰ If you faint in the day of adversity,
your strength is small.

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Just a short post today, taking a small piece of Proverbs.  I really don’t need to put any more in the post, but that wouldn’t be much of a blog.

Three statements, all individual pieces yet they go together as well.  The first simply put says to do no evil.  But then the next statement says to not lead others to folly, or sin and that to scoff and break your fellow men and women down is an abomination.

Then the next verse says that if you faint in the day of adversity. Notice that it doesn’t say if you find adversity.  One could imply that it’s assumed you will.  And if you faint, your strength is small.

But the next verse doesn’t tell you how to stay strong in adversity and I didn’t include it for that reason.  What is the reason?  YOU will faint in the day of adversity.  YOU will plan to do evil at some point, devise of folly (for others), and scoff.

I’ve got a little note beside the line your strength is small. In my notes in at least one of my bibles, I have written HIS strength is infinite.

¹Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
²For we all stumble in many ways, and if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.
³If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well.
⁴Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.
⁵So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

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I frequent a Christian men’s message board.  I’m often amazed at how quickly our choice of words shows original sin at work.  It’s easy to do even in person when you are talking face to face, and that is what this scripture speaks of.  It’s our ability to mouth off at our wondrous capabilities or extrapolate every detail we can find on the weakness and failings of others.

I think what is all too common here in the 21st century is the ability to let our tongues really get out of control when we are NOT face to face.  It’s probably the more preferred method of communication today.

Email, voicemail, Twitter, Facebook, text messages, chat clients, message boards, and, yes I am willing to admit it, blogs.  I talk with some of the men on the message board I mentioned from time to time on the phone, and have even gotten together with a few in real life.  We’ve talked about how easy it is, when you are a disembodied voice or just typed words, to boast about yourself or trounce on others.

I just thought this scripture had a lot of merit in a world filled with lots of face-to-face-less communication.  I know that I’m guilty of it, much more often than I should like to admit.

¹Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.
²Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife.
³She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”
⁴So Naaman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.”
⁵And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothes.
⁶And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
⁷And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.”
⁸But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
⁹So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house.
¹⁰And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.”
¹¹But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.
¹²Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.
¹³But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”
¹⁴So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

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Occam’s razor states; “the explanation of any phenomenon should make as few assumptions as possible, eliminating those that make no difference in the observable predictions of the explanatory hypothesis or theory.”  A common restatement of it is “The simplest answer is usually the correct answer.”  (Both definitions are taken from Wikipedia.)

Naaman was the successful warlord for the King of Aram.  He was used to things being big and bold.  Struck with leprosy, this warrior and leader, a most important person, was told by a slave girl of all people how he could be healed.

How desperate was Naaman that he would even mention this to his King?  But he did and the King sent him to see this Prophet.  He sent him with riches, pomp and ceremony.

Naaman couldn’t have been happy with his reception.  The King of Israel saw the entire event as an attempt to start a conflict.  Elisha steps in and asks for Naaman to be sent to him.  But when Naaman, likely with his full entourage, shows up at Elisha’s door, Elisha sends a messenger to tell him,

“Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.”

Naaman is furious with this additional snub.  This prophet tells him to go dip himself in a dirty river seven times?  And even sends the message with a servant?  Why didn’t Elisha did not come and wave his hand over the place?  A servant reminds him that the prophet has at least offered a way to heal him and asks him to try it.

Naaman did as was asked, and he was cured.  Why was he cured?  What was the purpose to dipping seven times in the Jordan?  Occam’s Razor.  I pray that when God sends me a message, I don’t forget that the simplest answer is usually the correct answer.

² But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.
³ Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel.
⁴ And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.  And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.

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Most historians put Micah’s time and writing around the first third of the eight century B.C.  Ironically, most Christians don’t know much about Micah, but they are very familiar with the two times that Micah is quoted in the New Testament.

He’s quoted in Matthew 2:5-6 and in Matthew 10:35-36.  When you look at the two quotes, they seem to be from different ends of the spectrum.  One is speaking of the Christ and the salvation that He brings.  The other, speaks of a war that even divides the members of a family.

We all have a tendency to pick the piece of scripture that fits our needs and let it stand alone for our purpose.  Matthew found Micah important enough to quote twice when explaining the good news about our Lord.  My thought on this?  Maybe the whole book of Micah is worth reading this Christmas.  Oh, come on, it’s only seven chapters!

Often, Christ is personified in our minds as the meek, peace and love, hippie.  Some want to paint Jesus as a renegade warrior constantly looking towards battle.  Ironically, a prophet born several hundred years before Christ, who never met Him and had not read any of the gospels about Him, didn’t have a problem putting both of those images into one person.  Without conflicts or personal spins.  How did he do it?  Easy, he listened to God.