Author: BJ Armstrong

Totay’s post is authored by Freddy Armstrong.

Genesis 19-20, Psalm 1, Mark7

Genesis 19 is about Lot and his family leaving Sodom. When he was warned by two angels, he tried to tell his extended family, but they didn’t take him seriously. Lot, his wife, and his daughters flee into the nearby town of Zoar, while God rains fire on the city of Sodom. While they flee, Lot’s wife looks back on the city, disobeying God’s command, and turns into a Pillar of salt. The daughters, thinking the world was over, got Lot drunk, and were impregnated by him to try and preserve their bloodline. 

We must not question Divine Judgment. God has laid a plan for us, it is on us to stay obedient. Even if it’s not clear, there are cascading effects each time we disobey the Lord’s plan. Wickedness has consequences. Even the smallest thing (all Lot’s wife did was LOOK BACK) can have terrible effects. Our bad choices may not seem consequential in the moment, but each time we disobey, there are consequences. In Romans 19:20, Paul writes: “But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?” 

Psalm 1 is a comparison between the Righteous and the Wicked. Reading this, you can draw parallels between those we deem righteous, and those we deem wicked in today’s world. I’ll start with the wicked. Today we live in a world where the wicked have become more present than ever, especially here in the United States. Music artists are doing clear satanic rituals in their concerts. Sexual degeneracy is at an all time high. Less people are having children. 

What about the Righteous? They’re fleeing the world. All major cities in the United States have seen a sharp decline in Christianity in the last 20 years, while atheism and Islam are growing. Even in our own communities, the mainline protestant churches have been hijacked by secular humanists. Since 2001, historic protestant churches have experienced deep declines in attendance, while evangelical non-denominational churches have seen tremendous growth. As soon as liberalism started to enter the church, many theologically conservative Christians fled. Now we’re left with local historical mainline churches hanging rainbow flags, and even denying the divinity of Christ. Yes, this Psalm tells us not to walk in the path of the wicked. But it did not

tell us to HIDE from the wicked. We must stand strong in the faith when surrounded by the wicked, and they will begin to follow. Our retreatest mindset is not correct. 

“That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,

    which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither—

    whatever they do prospers.”

Ask yourself: “Where do I sit?” Are you somebody who walks in the step of the wicked? This can come in many forms. Like: following their ideologies (supporting subversive culture), attending their ceremonies (concerts, festivals, any sort of revelry), or changing your code as soon as you’re in a room with secularists. As a young man, I’ve been guilty of each of these. If you find yourself in the step of the wicked, take a step to the right, carry your cross, and call on the Lord’s strength to help you forge a new path. Thanks to Christ, our fruits are great. We’re not an exclusive club. We’re not persecuted like the early church. When the Romans persecuted Christians, they didn’t flee. 

Note: There’s nothing wrong with Non-Denominational churches. I wasn’t even alive for this stuff. We should definitely try and take back the culture, and the historic protestant churches, though. Also, I don’t think we should try and form our churches to look more like secular culture. Young men and women are searching for tradition. 

In Mark 7,The Pharisees confront Jesus after they criticize Jesus and his disciples for not following certain ceremonial washing rituals. This is where Jesus declares all food to be clean. The Pharisees condemn Jesus for not washing themselves before eating. Jesus says: “Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them” 

Health is a big focus of mine. Eating the correct foods, controlling what goes into my body to make me stronger. But we must remember that this isn’t our main focus. We must control our spiritual food, in order to control what comes out of us. If we are consuming what comes from the wicked, (like certain secular media, ideas or traditions) we may find ourselves reciprocating it. It’s not all about what goes into our stomachs, or our physical health markers, it’s about the spiritual energy we surround ourselves with. We should feed ourselves spiritually with prayer and communion, so that our hearts can show Christ’s love. 

Genesis 9-11, Mark 4

2024 is officially here.  I set big goals and laid out some general plans for their accomplishment.  I might even pick a word of the year, something that will help me define and remind me of my intentions.  I know that I will need discipline and focus to achieve the lofty goals in front of me, but there is something else.  You see, something is going to come up that you didn’t plan on, something that no amount of discipline will help you overcome.  Covid, for example, derailed everyone. No, I am not predicting a global pandemic in 2024, but life will happen.  It might not happen to you directly, but your life will be affected by illness, accidents, employment changes, cavities, and flat tires.  Someone you know will pass away, and someone else will receive a terminal diagnosis. The question is, will you give up?  Is it worth it?

I am reminded of life’s troubles today in Genesis 4.  This is where we are introduced to Abraham.  Most of the time, we are focused on his accomplishments.  I mean, he’s called “father Abraham,” meaning he is the father of many nations.  You probably remember the song about his seven sons.  He did great things!  But, he didn’t do great things because he had a great life.  No, he did great things in spite of his tough life.  In this short passage, he experiences two of life’s greatest hardships; death and infertility.  Both experiences can leave us feeling rejected and blaming God.  But not Abraham.  He pressed forward with great faith. In fact, Hebrews 11:10 describes Abraham as “ looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.”

Abraham is my reminder today that God is calling us.  Calling, according to Frederick Buechner, is where our great joy and The worlds great need intersect.  If we are to experience it, we must utilize the hardships, continually looking forward to that great city, just like Abraham.

Psalm 23

When I was young, I went to church camp.  They had a special name for kids that had graduated 8th grade and were headed to high school; “tween week.”  Tweens are not quite high schoolers; neither are they middle schoolers.  Tween’s are “in-between.”  The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day is another “tween week.”  It’s not really 2023 anymore, but it’s not quite 2024 either.  This week, if we choose, can be a gift.  Don’t delay;  we only have a moment.  Next week, the pressures and problems of work will reappear.   

Truth is, I don’t know how to respond to this time in-between.  I have nothing to run to and nothing to run from.  This morning, I found myself hurrying down the beach.  It is my habit.  But it should not be for today.  Today, I am not trying to win, and I do not need to run for my life.  I need only to be.  Pausing my walk, I glanced across the still water and suddenly noticed the cool mist in the air.  As I yielded my spirit I realized that God has done exactly what he promised.  “He has led me beside peaceful waters.  He is renewing my strength and guiding me along paths of righteousness, bringing honor to his name.” (Psalm 23:203)

God is faithful, indeed.  He has given us the gift of in-between if only we will stop to experience it.

Job 31-33, Psalm 102, Rev 19

I feel beaten down.  For the last several weeks, we have been listening to Job and Revelation.  It can be depressing.  Job’s life is destroyed, and the seven judgments are being poured out upon the people on earth.  Suddenly, a loud voice from a great multitude cried out, “Hallelujah!”

What is this sudden turn?  Why have I found myself reeling from the pain and anguish that the people of earth are enduring while all of heaven is proclaiming, “Hallelujah?”  They do it because they know the truth, and they know what is to come.  Hope has arrived.

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness, he judges and makes war.  His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.  He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.  And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.  From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.  On his robe and on his thigh, he has a name written: King of kings and Lord of lords. Revelation 19:11-16 (ESV)

Why sing Hallelujah?  Because Jesus is here!  But, not the Jesus that you knew before.  This time, he is not a baby lying peacefully in a manger or the gentle pastor with children gathered all around, nor is his body beaten and broken.  He is full of fire, crowned with jewels, and armed for battle.   Victory is assured.

When I see the warrior, something happens.  Hope isnt something far off, hope is right now.  I find joy in vengeance over the enemy, but that is not the biggest thing.  The sight of the warrior, my savior is overwhelming.  I am not afraid.  He is for me and  I am prepared.  He is fighting for me as I fall to my knees and proclaim, “Hallelujah!”

Job 18-20, Psalm 141, Rev 15

When will it end?  For the last several days, we have been with Job.  We’ve witnessed him losing his family, his farm, all his possessions, even his health. The world has betrayed him.  God, according to Job, has betrayed him.  The pain and torture is unrelenting.  As if his physical and  mental anguish were not enough, Job’s friends also criticize him.  He can’t take any more.  “Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, O you my friends,” he cries out.  “Why do you, like God, pursue me?  Why are you not satisfied with my flesh?”  Incredibly, through all of this, Job’s faith is not shaken.  He knows that something more is coming, confidently claiming the promise he is given.  “I know that my redeemer lives,” he says.  Redemption where his fantastic hope comes from.  So does ours.

We have all found ourselves in a mess we cannot get ourselves out of.  Most of the time, our messes are a result of our poor choices.  The resulting shame and circumstances reinforce our fear that at any moment we will be fully abandoned, by our friends and by God.  Job can help us overcome that fear by reminding us that our efforts are futile.  If we are to be full, we must be redeemed.  We cannot just erase the past, we must be bought out of our mess.  Someone must pay the price.

Today’s world pretends to have the answer, but it falls short.  Positive thinking, exercise and education only go so far.  We didn’t see Job trying to double his effort or modify his beliefs.  He clung desperately and relentlessly to one truth, “my redeemer lives.”  This is our truth too.  Ephesians 1:7-10 tells us that “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”  So, I, like Job, do not lose heart because my Redeemer lives!

 

Malachi, Psalm 2, Revelation 9

Humility, according to John Townsend, is accepting the reality of who God is and who you are.  That seems easy but, time and time again, we fail.  In fact, we fail more than we realize.  We see a blatant representation of this failure today in Malachi and it has me counting how many times I talk back to God.

Starting at the beginning, God reminds the priests, “I have loved you.”  Their reply is striking, “how have you loved us?” They question.  It’s as if they do not feel God’s love.  They certainly are not experiencing it.  While he patiently provides an answer of his deep love, the next statement is prepared.  “You have not honored me, and you do not fear me.”  The priest’s response, laced with indignation, comes “how have we despised your name?”  They pretty much ask God to prove it.  I think they were so buried in their own worlds and their own success that they really didn’t know.  They actually thought they are doing good.  So, Malachi explains the priests disregard for God.  Then, he adds yet another offense, maybe the worst yet.  “You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from you hand. But you say “Why does he not?”  The priests have no idea why God won’t answer them.  That’s when Malachi hits them with the truth.

The questions that we ask of God reflect the condition of our heart.  Throughout the book of Malachi, the priests have it backwards.  They have denied the reality of who God is and who they are. So do we. Today, we get another chance.  The promises of God are only one decision away.  It starts with accepting the reality of who God is and who you are.

Townsend, John. The Entitlement Cure: Finding Success in Doing Hard Things the Right Way (p. 54). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

Nehemiah 1-3, Revelation 5

John is in the throne room.  He’s watching God hold out a scroll with seven seals while an angel shouts to everyone “who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” (v2).  When nobody was found, John began to weep.  It’s this reaction that I want to take a closer look at.  Why does he weep?  To understand John’s emotions we need to first understand what is in the scroll, then we need a closer look at John’s heart.

The scroll describes Gods future plans.  Remember that Jesus died and ascended to heaven but he also made another promise; to come again. Luke 21:27 (ESV) And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory  (Mark 13:26-27).   This second coming will be the end to all trials and tribulation.  When it happens, Jesus will send out the angels and gather his elect (Mark 13:27).  This is what John was hoping for.  The scroll would finally reveal it. The full understanding of God and eternal presence with him is finally at hand.  But, there is a problem.  Who will open it?

John probably knew immediately that he, himself was not worthy.  He came to the throne room not with ambition and looking for opportunity, but seeking God, with humility.  Instead, I picture him eagerly searching for a face, for someone to step forward and take the scroll.  But they didn’t show up.  I feel like he matched 5 numbers on a lottery ticket and, waiting anxiously for that sixth number, only to find it doesn’t match.  John had lost.  But this wasn’t about a few dollars, this was everything he hoped for.  He “wept loudly.”

John was distressed until he was reminded to be patient.  There is one worthy, says one of the elders.  It is the “Lion of Judah.”  He has won the victory.  He is worthy to open the scrolls.  With this, John’s hope was restored but not in the way he expected.  He was looking for a lion, bold and strong.  But, what he saw was a lamb, and that Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered (Revelation 5:6).  In that moment, John sees Jesus for who he really is. He understands the price that was paid.  With that, John and the entire room fell down before the lamb and sang a new song (Revelation 5:8).

Zechariah 12-14, Psalm 94, 2 John

2 John 2:6 says, Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you have heard from the beginning. I’ll be honest, I struggle with being commanded to love. It’s like telling me I have to go to the gym.  No, thank you.  I don’t want to be out of breath. I don’t want to sweat, and I sure don’t want to be sore tomorrow.  But guess what?  I can’t be healthy without it.  Sometimes, the only way to get me to do something is to command it.

Why do I have this reaction to the commandment of love?  Because love is costly.  Bob Goff describes the cost of love in two ways: sacrifice and presence.  Sacrifice means giving up something I want so that someone else can have what they want.  Presence is about attention.  It’s a state of being.  When we are present with another person, nothing else matters.  Just them.

Perhaps Jesus presented it as a commandment because he knew I would be reluctant to pay the price.  Perhaps he knew that my obstinance would stand in stark contrast to his humility.  He was not reluctant to pay.  He gave his love freely.  Even when it cost him everything.

People will never change, according to Morgan Housel.  In his book, Same As Ever, he illustrates over and over that people are primarily driven by greed and fear.  They never change.  But, I am a Christian.  “I can change,” I think.  “I have been changed,” I demand.  These answer come without much thought.  Is it true, that we are changed?

Today, we are reading about Haggai. He enters the story some 60 years after the Israelites were released from Babylon.  Remember Babylon?  The city was known for its debauchery.  Under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonians fought and “besieged Jerusalem.” “Nebuchadnezzar carried away all the treasures from the Lord’s Temple and the royal palace. He stripped away all the gold objects that King Solomon of Israel had placed in the Temple. King Nebuchadnezzar took all of Jerusalem captive, including all the commanders and the best of the soldiers, craftsmen, and artisans—10,000 in all. Only the poorest people were left in the land.”  (2 Kings 24:10-14). But, they would not be there forever.  The book of Ezra begins the next chapter, where King Cyress allows the Israelites to return to Jerusalem.  Specifically, he released them to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple of the Lord.  Behind the scenes, God was stirring the hearts of the priests and Levites and the leaders of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple of the Lord. Ezra 1:5.  So they went.  But, they did not rebuild the temple.  Haggai has something to say about it.

Here’s what happened.  The Jews returned to Jerusalem so that they could rebuild the Temple, but the city was in ruins.  If they were going to do this work, they needed places to live.  God graciously gave them the gift of time.  And they took it.  They built lavish houses, planted bountiful fields, feasted together, and dressed themselves exquisitely (Haggai 1:4-6).  Now, 60ish years later, God reminds them that he would like his temple rebuilt.  “Not yet,” the people respond.  The time has not yet come (Haggai 1:2).  The people were greedy.  Some things never change.  Housel is right that people will always be greedy.  What about fear?

Rebuilding God’s temple was monumental work.  How could they ever build this temple the way Solomon did?  It would take forever! Plus, he was the wealthiest man that ever lived, and these were tough times for the Jews.  Remember, that they had been enslaved and their land destroyed? These reminders created fear for the Israelites. Fear told them they were unworthy. Fear said they are not capable.  But it was not true.  God stepped in.  He asked them to be strong.  Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not (Haggai 2:4-6).  Looks like Housel is right.  Well, partly right.

The Israelites made a choice.  They were able to defer their greed and overcome their fears through the power of the Lord.  Without God, we remain with our current thinking, we are not transformed by His power, and we are forever subject to our humanity of greed and fear.

Daniel 1-3, Psalm 88, John 17

Triggered: an emotional/psychological reaction caused by something that somehow relates to an upsetting time or happening in someone’s life, often when someone gets offended, gets their feelings hurt or people with strong victimization.

There are lots of things that trigger us.  Just say the words “I love Donald Trump” in a crowded restaurant and you will see what I mean.  Heck, maybe you get triggered because other people get triggered.

We are most likely to be triggered when we are afraid.  Think of triggered as the “flight or fight” response.  It starts with adrenaline and cortisol.  Our breathing becomes rapid and our hearts beat faster.  This is when we begin to sweat and our eyes dilate to broaden our field of vision.  The effects of fear on the mind are a little harder to discern, but they are very real.  Our mind becomes singularly focused.  We can only see the threat.  All of our brain power is directed toward one thing, relief.  How do we get out of this, fast!  Unfortunately, that often leads to poor decisions.

It’s easy to see in hindsight.  My reactions and responses when I am triggered are less than Godly.  Fear eliminates my big picture view.  Thankfully, there is a better way.  Consider Daniel.  King Nebechadnezer’s men came in, ready to kill him.  Yet, Daniel did not respond in fear.  In the moment, he was given power.  Not super human strength or mystical pwers like we expect, no, Daniel was given the power of peace.  How do we know?  Daniel 2:14 says that “Daniel handled the situation with wisdom and discretion.”  Do you know what that means?  It means that he was not overcome with fear.  He did not respond with adrenaline, rapid breathing, sweating and a narrow focus.  Instead, he was broadly focused.  He immediately saw the bigger picture.

What is it that separates Daniel from the rest of us?  Why do we get triggered and he gets peace?  The answer is simple.  Daniel first set his heart upon God, then  he allowed his mind to be governed by the Holy Spirit, and finally, he submitted his will.