"When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Psalm 11:3, NIV)
The CEV says, "What can an honest person do when everything crumbles?" While most translations put our text in the form of a question, from what most Hebrew scholars say, it is more a statement of fact. It is as though the psalmist is watching the decay of his own culture.
Notice that the emphasis seems to be, "while everyone just stands around and watches." Or, "while everyone goes to church meetings, raises their hands, shouts, declares, thinks up more activity to bring in a wider range of members, yes, even goes on mission trips." All of this goes on while, "....the foundations are being destroyed." The Holy Spirit then shouts through the ages, "What has the righteous done?"!? This is not popular evangelicalism. This is, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations." Literally, "make into disciples, train in discipleship, helping someone to progressively learn the Word of God."
I really want what I share with you to be uplifting, but not a "sugar high." Any doctor would tell you that there is nothing good which comes from that. Some religionists follow up their cotton candy theology with a sort of spiritual ritalin. It deals with symptoms, but does not go to the cause. Jesus is the "Great Physician," the great destroyer of the sin disease (I need regular "appointments"). I have shared some thoughts on our text several times before, but in the light of developments, not only in the United States, but also around the globe, it cannot be more "timely." Literally, "For the foundations are being overthrown; what hath the righteous wrought (he word literally means, "beaten out, or shaped by hammering")?" You may recall also one commentator who said that the structure of the Hebrew indicates the answer: Nothing. If we ignore, "the foundations," you simply have nothing left to work with. Whatever is being built is doomed to collapse.
Media keep speaking of "the evangelical vote" in America. What far too many of the so-called "evangelicals" are is nothing but "redneck" religion. Many of them "seek first" their own comfort and pleasure, "seek first" the "kingdom of 'the American dream.'" They neither know, nor care to know the Bible, aka, the "God-Breathed...Words of God." Their life philosophy is not Scripture based, Jesus Centered; it is sort of, "don't tread on me," based. I have seen this in the "Tea Party" movement. Many of these are people who are voting for Trump or some of the other candidates who neither know Jesus nor care to obey His Words. They, along with some so-called "evangelical" pundits, have thrown one of the best of these under the proverbial "bus." Rather than "leaning on Jesus" and His Words, leaning to their, "own understanding," rules.
As in football, when people forget the fundamentals, don't continually practice the fundamentals, they get beat. One of the most important fundamentals is conditioning. Our coach used to say, after working us to the point where we thought we were going to die, "You'll be thankful for this in the last quarter when the other team's tongues are hanging out." I remember once beating a guy deep, and when we looked at the films the next week, it was obvious: The fourth quarter got to him. What is happening to people who profess Jesus Christ in "the fourth quarter," when they think they are beyond the need for tackling and blocking drills, practice running their "routes?"-- They become dupes for the latest, trendy, populist thinking and acting. Not only in the United States of America, but also in many nations around the globe, the Church is in grave danger of this. I fear that in America, "....the foundations are being overthrown...." But we cannot quit. As long as we are here in this world system we must continue, as Brother Andrew has said, "in the fight."
Father, in Jesus' Name, have mercy on me. Amen.
The CEV says, "What can an honest person do when everything crumbles?" While most translations put our text in the form of a question, from what most Hebrew scholars say, it is more a statement of fact. It is as though the psalmist is watching the decay of his own culture.
Notice that the emphasis seems to be, "while everyone just stands around and watches." Or, "while everyone goes to church meetings, raises their hands, shouts, declares, thinks up more activity to bring in a wider range of members, yes, even goes on mission trips." All of this goes on while, "....the foundations are being destroyed." The Holy Spirit then shouts through the ages, "What has the righteous done?"!? This is not popular evangelicalism. This is, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations." Literally, "make into disciples, train in discipleship, helping someone to progressively learn the Word of God."
I really want what I share with you to be uplifting, but not a "sugar high." Any doctor would tell you that there is nothing good which comes from that. Some religionists follow up their cotton candy theology with a sort of spiritual ritalin. It deals with symptoms, but does not go to the cause. Jesus is the "Great Physician," the great destroyer of the sin disease (I need regular "appointments"). I have shared some thoughts on our text several times before, but in the light of developments, not only in the United States, but also around the globe, it cannot be more "timely." Literally, "For the foundations are being overthrown; what hath the righteous wrought (he word literally means, "beaten out, or shaped by hammering")?" You may recall also one commentator who said that the structure of the Hebrew indicates the answer: Nothing. If we ignore, "the foundations," you simply have nothing left to work with. Whatever is being built is doomed to collapse.
Media keep speaking of "the evangelical vote" in America. What far too many of the so-called "evangelicals" are is nothing but "redneck" religion. Many of them "seek first" their own comfort and pleasure, "seek first" the "kingdom of 'the American dream.'" They neither know, nor care to know the Bible, aka, the "God-Breathed...Words of God." Their life philosophy is not Scripture based, Jesus Centered; it is sort of, "don't tread on me," based. I have seen this in the "Tea Party" movement. Many of these are people who are voting for Trump or some of the other candidates who neither know Jesus nor care to obey His Words. They, along with some so-called "evangelical" pundits, have thrown one of the best of these under the proverbial "bus." Rather than "leaning on Jesus" and His Words, leaning to their, "own understanding," rules.
As in football, when people forget the fundamentals, don't continually practice the fundamentals, they get beat. One of the most important fundamentals is conditioning. Our coach used to say, after working us to the point where we thought we were going to die, "You'll be thankful for this in the last quarter when the other team's tongues are hanging out." I remember once beating a guy deep, and when we looked at the films the next week, it was obvious: The fourth quarter got to him. What is happening to people who profess Jesus Christ in "the fourth quarter," when they think they are beyond the need for tackling and blocking drills, practice running their "routes?"-- They become dupes for the latest, trendy, populist thinking and acting. Not only in the United States of America, but also in many nations around the globe, the Church is in grave danger of this. I fear that in America, "....the foundations are being overthrown...." But we cannot quit. As long as we are here in this world system we must continue, as Brother Andrew has said, "in the fight."
Father, in Jesus' Name, have mercy on me. Amen.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
