Author: BJ Armstrong

No Compromises

We are surrounded by compromise. Take a look around your current environment and you will see it. Are you in the house of your dreams? What about your car? Is it exactly the one you wanted, or did you have to settle for less than the perfect one? How about your job? Truth is, very few things live up to the ideal in my head. It’s ok, we learn to live with compromises in the material world. But, what about the spiritual world? Are we compromising there too? Malachi says yes.
How do we find compromises in our lives?  The standards are provided in scripture.  Problem is, God’s rules are hard. So, we turn from rules and make up our own.  Instead of giving the full tithe, we adjust the definition of tithing. We hold back our time and talent, pointing our passion toward careers instead of God’s callings.  These shifts are subtle, we think.  But not to God.  He sees them all very clearly and they separate us from him.
Thankfully, Malachi tells of a messenger that is coming.  A messenger that will prepare a way for Jesus.  It is Jesus’ uncompromising life and perfect death that reunites us with God. He will eliminate our compromises so that we may have life.

Restored

Today, we find ourselves in the book of Nehemiah. It’s worth remembering a couple of things about him. First, Nehemiah was a king. God called him to restore Jerusalem. In order to accomplish this, he first set out to protect the city. This was accomplished, miraculously, by constructing a wall around the entire city. Once Nehemiah could guarantee the people’s safety, he restored the integrity of the city’s economy by returning the land to its rightful owners.  It had been taken from them as payment for taxes. Nehemiah knew, however, that there was one more thing to do. He must instill God’s law back into the hearts of the people.
It’s simple really. Nehemiah gathered the people together and he read to them from the Book of the Law. Not only did he read the words, but he “clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people to understand each passage” (v8). This is the beginning of a new Jerusalem. What made this so effective? Let’s look at two additional scriptures.
First, 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV) tells us that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” That’s right, scripture does that for us! There is a second benefit to the scriptures. It transforms our very minds (Romans 12:2). That means it changes us completely. We morph into something new.
Reading and digesting scripture promotes our renewal too.  That’s what I love about our BibleJournal.  It is our opportunity to read and clearly explain the meaning of what we read.  Thank you for your commitment.  Thank you for putting God’s word first.  Thank you for sharing so freely how God is working in your lives.

Don’t Panic!

If you invest in the stock market, you try to predict the future. We do this by combing yesterday’s results and today’s news. It doesn’t work. Instead of predictability, we get volatility. This is certainly true for the last several months. In fact, the last 6 months have produced significant losses. Maybe it is time to sell? You know how the pros answer. They say, “stay the course.” In other words, “do not be alarmed.” Wait, what? I am about to lose everything that I have worked my whole life for and you tell me not to panic? How can this be good advice?
Today, in Matthew 24, Jesus tells us the same thing. No, not about the stock market. Jesus is talking about our faith. “We’ve been going along pretty well lately,” he tells his disciples, “but bad things are going to happen.  I can’t tell you exactly what they are but droughts and earthquakes will be part of it. People are going to be suffering and hurting. “Even worse,” he says, “everyone will blame you.” That’s right, “all of this will happen and they will come after you. You may be thrown into jail. It’s even probable that you will be tortured.”
Why is Jesus telling us all of this? To prepare us.  He says it this way, “when all of this happens, do not be alarmed.” In other words, “don’t panic.” No, it is not time to sell! The goal has not changed!
Now, if you are like me, you still want to sell. It seems easier, and definitely safer. Tribulation garners the same reaction.  So rather than panic, let’s get back to what we know to be true.
We are not alarmed when we know God is in charge – he has a plan
We are not alarmed when we put our faith in God’s plan
We are not alarmed when his glorification is more important than our well-being

Good Morning!

How do you start your day?  Clicking through emails and scrolling headlines brings on the pressures of life.  What a mess! How will you respond, what will you do?   As I sit in self-pity, anger, and anxiety, I hear the voice of God.  “Hey, remember me?”  He asks.  I do.  In those moments, I remember that God is our helper.  He is in control of all situations.  In fact, I can use him. Surely, he will provide me with the strategies that I need to navigate this day.  So, that’s my prayer and off I go.
Why do I do this?  I tell myself it is responsible.  I should be informed.  It also seems strategic.  When I know what I am in for, I can plan better.  I can shape my activities to create the best possible outcome.
If you sense that something is wrong with this method, you are right.  In fact, our lives will be entirely different if our days start like David’s in Psalm 104.   Rather than finding ways to use God in his life, he determines who God is.  For example, when was the last time you thought about God as creator?
God is not just the creator.  He is also the orchestrator.  He brings all of creation together, in harmony, so that it acts in concert.  Each piece works together, for Him.  For His purposes and for His glory.
How about provider?  God provides for us in the way that we most commonly think – he gives us food and shelter, but there is more.  He gives us places to sing.  Just as he does for the bird with the branches of the trees (v12).
 Because of who He is, I will sing,  I will praise my God with every breath. I will think of Him and His ways.  I will please Him only.  I rejoice in Him.
Let’s go start the day.

Healed, Or Whole?

It is possible to be healed, but not saved. The first comes as a request. “Jesus, have mercy on me!” It’s not an outrageous request. there are many times we beg for God’s mercy. In high school, it might have been before a big test. Today, it’s everything from an unexpected tax bill to health issues. All are valid reasons to ask for mercy. The amazing thing is that God wants to help us.  Just like the 10-lepers.
In Luke 11, we see 10 lepers begging for Jesus’ mercy. They did nothing more than believe, if even for a moment, that Jesus could heal them. They believed enough to follow Jesus’ instruction to go and see the priest.  As they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. 10 miracles. Unfortunately, not every miracle results in salvation. Only one leper was able to procure that.
How did it happen? “One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done.” (Luke 17:15-16) In short, the man said, “thank you.” That’s it.
What do you need to go back and praise Jesus for today?

The Beginning of the End

Revelation 1

Many people struggle with the book of Revelation.  We complain about the imagery presented as we struggle to convert symbology to reality.  Our attempts are futile.  Rather than gaining assurance, we get fear.  Maybe, it is time that we approach this book differently.  Let’s leave our preconceptions and, more importantly, ourselves behind.  I discovered this as I read through Revelation 1. When I began, my focus was on one thing; myself.    Simply put, I begin worrying about my future.  What will the end-times mean for me?  This inward focus inhibits my ability to see the real message John presents.  Thankfully, God is faithful.  His word exposes my error and helps me correct it (Hebrews 4:12).  Today, as I read Revelation 1, I am reminded that:

    • God is in charge.  He gave Jesus the revelation to bring to us.  He commands angels and sits on a throne.
    • Because he loves us, He freed us from our sins by the blood of Jesus (v6)
    • He is the alpha and omega (v8). He existed before time began and will continue after it ends.

So what does the book of Revelation bring us?  A clear picture of who we are who God is.  Nothing else matters.  In fact, everything in this world will cease.  It will no longer exist.  Except for God.  He will continue.  He will rule and he will love us.  Forever and always.  That is enough for me.  Is that enough for you?

Tough Talk

Prophets in the Bible talk a lot about doom and destruction.  Micah included.  As I read through the first half of chapter two, I am convicted of my own sin.  How much time do I spend, as Micah says, “devising evil plans?”  The word evil is aggressive, so truthfully answering that question requires a little more digging into what evil is.  The Bible has much to say about it.  Consider these:
  • Psalms 10:7 (ESV) His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression, under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
  • Ephesians 4:29 (ESV) Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
  • Matthew 15:18-20 (ESV) what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person.
  • Ecclesiastes 5:10 (ESV) He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.
  • Proverbs 25:2-3 (NLT) It is God’s privilege to conceal things and the king’s privilege to discover them.  No one can comprehend the height of heaven, the depth of the earth or all that goes on in the king’s mind!
  • Luke 12:15 (NLT) “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.”
  • Galatians 5:19-21 (NLT) When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these.
These few verses are very revealing.  Evil is everywhere. Including our hearts and minds.  Micah warns us, again, of the harsh consequences that accompany them.  It is in this harsh conversation that I find myself wanting and needing a savior.
Thankfully, the calling of the prophets was not to forecast doom and destruction.  Instead, they are announcing hope and salvation.  God will gather the faithful, he says in verse 12.  Even better, he reminds us that God can break us free.  He will send “the breaker.”  The Breaker, he says, will go before us and make a new way (v13).
Of course, we know who “the Breaker” is.  He is Jesus.  The one who goes before us.  The one who pays the price and breaks us free from the bondage of sin.

Return to Me

The CDC tells me that my lifespan just decreased. As of today, I am expected to live 78.8 years. That’s 1.2 years fewer than it was before COVID. I just turned 52. You do the math.
I don’t like that news. Surely, there is something I can do to change it. Yes, of course, there is. You know just as well as I do. Reduce stress, sleep more, eat a balanced diet, avoid sugar, caffeine, and alcohol, then exercise at least 3 days per week and stay active the other four. Yes, that list sounds exhausting. That is precisely why the average is 78.8. It explains that most of us will refuse to make the changes necessary to live longer and better lives.
It’s relatively easy to track our physical life averages. But, what about our spiritual lives? What opportunities do we find to improve or strengthen our souls? This is what Amos is talking about today in chapter four. Five times, in this short passage, we are reminded of the opportunities we missed. Five times, Amos reminds the Israelites, that the Lord attempted to get their attention.
It seems crazy to me. Our physical bodies are trying to get our attention, yet we do little or nothing to improve them just as God is trying to get our attention. He is trying to complete us. He wants us to be whole. He wants us to be with him for eternity. That can only happen one way. “Return to me,” he asks us. It’s that simple.

Sick and Hopeless

Isaiah 33

How do you respond to distress and hopelessness? Many cower, shrinking in fear. For others, depression and despondency take over. When Israel’s hope was gone, when they’d been turned into slaves with nothing to live for, they did the same. That’s when the prophet, Isaiah, steps in.
Isaiah cries out for them.  How does he do it?  He prays.  This is not your ordinary prayer.  He did not sit quietly with folded hands and closed eyes.  Instead, he spoke with passion.  I picture him pacing the room, stomping and screaming.  This prayer was about making noise.  He was calling upon God for attention.
Working a room, in passionate prayer is tough.  Isaiah’s face was red and sweat gathered on his brow.  Tears filled his eyes, but he would not be overcome by emotion.  This was a desperate cry.  He wanted help, yes, but it’s more than that.  Isaiah needed God to show up.  He knew God’s promises.  He knew that when God stands up, nothing can stand in his way.  Nothing can defeat him.  No enemy, no ruler, no mountain is bigger than He.  God will conquer all.  He and he alone will free us.
What made Isaiah special?  He was willing to rely on God. His response was dictated by his faith.  How do you respond to repression and lack of hope?  Prayer.  That’s it. He didn’t push for everyone to go out and fight. He didn’t work to energize and motivate these hopeless people. He prayed. He didn’t tell them to pray, he prayed for them. He interceded with what he knew to be true.
Prayer is all that is required.  Through it, we achieve the victory that God has promised.  Like the Israelites, we will no longer say, “we are sick and hopeless, for the Lord will forgive.” (v24)