Knowing God Takes Time

 “A man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth...”
(Luke 12:15)

As an old man, I marvel at the pace at which life is lived today.  For most, it is a matter of hurrying from one activity to another–trying to cram everything into the limited amount of time at our disposal.  While it is not ordinarily healthy to “live in the past”, I truly long for “the good old days”, when, at least, I could keep up with most of my friends and family. When one looks at life as a whole, a paradox emerges.  One the one hand, we are admitting that there is not time enough to do all the things we want (or “need”) to do.  On the other, we are filling up our time with things that are absolutely useless in the great scheme of things–in other words, “wasting” our time!  Such is not troubling to the person whose world-view is limited to the present life; but to the one who acknowledges the existence of God, and an eternity to be lived somewhere, it should make us think.

In allotting time, of which we only have a limited amount, what we do with it says a lot about our goals in life.  How much time we spend in “making a living”, in “having fun”, etc., is a fair barometer of where our heart is.  Sadly, in our rush to fill our time with work and recreation, we overlook the very thing which gives meaning to life – a right relationship with God.  As Solomon tells us: “...fear God, and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man...” Eccl 12:13.

Question: How much time do you spend on that which is “the whole duty of man?”  The center of our life should be an interest in the spiritual, for that is the realm in which – after the few years we live on the earth – we will exist for eternity.  In the words of Jesus: “...this is life eternal, that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent…” John 17:3            

How much time do you spend daily in preparing for “life eternal”?  You will never have anything more important in your life than the need to “know God”.  As a practical thing, this “takes time”!  Trying to “fit it in” to a life full of earthly needs and wants is putting it just backwards! We should be trying to “fit in” the necessary earthly things to a life filled with spiritual thoughts and deeds.  The “happy man” is the one who “meditates” on God’s law “day and night” – Ps. 1

Happily married folks know –even after years of being together, getting to “know” your partner is a work in progress still.  Just so, getting to “know” God is time-consuming and “mind filling”.  Even when we are doing it right, it is a life project, and demands constant input from Him, and constant “output” from ourselves.  If your life involves this worthy aim, what are you waiting for?  An education?  A career?  A family?  These are comparatively NOTHING, when considering “eternity”, and you are not guaranteed the time to do both them and getting to know God!  Put first things first!  “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you” -Mt 6:33 --AcBelue

Editorial: Confronting Our Confession

            Peter was bold, the apostle who could always be counted on to say something, even if wasn’t always the right thing to say. But that day, Peter got it right. He said the right thing at the right moment, only he didn’t seem to understand the implications of what he said.

In Matthew 16:15 Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (16). He confessed his faith in Christ. He confessed that Jesus is Messiah, and not only that, He is God’s Son. Peter knew where he stood on the question of Jesus’ identity, but as the rest of the chapter demonstrates, Peter didn’t yet grasp how Jesus’ identity related to his own. In the paragraph immediately following Peter’s confession and Jesus’ subsequent praise we find Peter rebuking the Lord for predicting His death in Jerusalem (16:21-23). Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ, and then took it upon himself to criticize and correct God’s Son. Jesus minced no words in addressing Peter’s criticism. “Get behind me, Satan!” the Savior said. “You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (23). Notice what Jesus said next. In verse twenty-four Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”

Peter knew who Jesus was (is), but he failed to realize the practical implications of his own confession. Jesus is the Christ, God’s Son; He is Lord. But if He is Lord, then I am not. My confession of Christ not only describes Christ’s role, it defines mine. If He is the Savior, then I am the saved. If He is the Master, then I am the slave. If Jesus is King, then I am His servant, and I need to live my life in a way that reflects my acknowledgment and acceptance of His authority. Paul wrote, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Ro. 10:9), but he goes on in the same epistle to say, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (12:1). Confession and submission go hand in hand. It is not confession alone that will save us. Confession of faith must be accompanied by the submission of obedience.

Too often those who confess faith in Jesus are ready, like Peter, to rebuke and correct Him when they disagree with what He says. Men redefine Jesus’ words on salvation (Mk. 16:15-16), the church (Jn. 17:20-21), worship (Jn. 4:23-24), doctrine (Mt. 15:8-9), divorce (Mt. 19:3-9), forgiveness (Lk. 17:3-4), and a host of other issues. We know what He said, at least we ought to, but like Peter we find ourselves contradicting, “Not so, Lord!” What sense does that make?                      

Have you confronted the implications of your own confession? Are you living up to the profession of faith you have made? When we confess Jesus’ person, we also confess His authority and our willingness to be governed by it. Unless we put self aside and allow Him to rule in our hearts and lives, of what value is our confession of Him anyway?–The Editors

Those Tiresome Genealogies

            It might appear to the casual Bible reader that genealogical lists are extraneous material of little or no value. It can be tedious to wade through lists of names, most of them difficult to pronounce and offering little or no information about the character himself. But we must remember that all scripture is inspired, literally “God-breathed,” and therefore profitable for us to consider. So what value can possibly be gained from the genealogical lists of the Bible?

1) Genealogies confirm the prophecies of God.

            The genealogies provide a literary reminder that God’s prophecies are true. Israel’s departure from God and their return to the land of Canaan can both be traced in various genealogies, events that God had foretold. The genealogies of the Christ are most valuable in this regard in that they confirm the prophecies of Jesus’ family and birth. (cf. Ge. 12:1-3; 2Sa. 7:11-16; Is. 7:14; Lk. 3:23-38)

2) Genealogies confirm the faithfulness of God.

            The promises and design of God moved forward through thousands of years of human history. God’s purposes were never thwarted by the wickedness of men. Time could not cause the plan of God to fail. The genealogies are a reminder that throughout the ages God has continued to work to accomplish His goals. He continues to do so today, whether we choose to cooperate or resist His will.

3) Genealogies would be especially important to the original readers.

            While the books of the Bible were intended for the benefit of all mankind, it is important to remember that these documents were originally penned for specific audiences. The Jews, for example, would have special interest in the genealogies, which detailed their histories and preserved the lines of inheritance.

Genealogies may seem tiresome, but they are not without purpose. The next time you come across a genealogical list during your Bible reading remember its value, and seek to apply its lessons to today. –JME

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