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Psalm 135:15-18
The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
made by human hands.
They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see.
They have ears, but cannot hear,
nor is there breath in their mouths.
Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them.

Idolatry is one of the themes that I’ve tried to pay attention to as we’ve read through the Bible, and this passage has been one that says so much succinctly. Idolatry is not harmless. Idolatry first is stealing the worship that God alone deserves. Beyond that we need to understand that our worship does something to us. In the case of idolatry, we become like what we worship. Look in Psalm 135 and ask yourself what that means. These idols are silver and gold, meaning they are dead. They cannot speak and cannot see and cannot hear. That is a bold warning. Worshipping a false god changes us, too. We can grow dead inside, handing ourselves over to such sin. And this still applies if your idol is power or money or any other more contemporary idol. We can follow that path or we can worship our living God, and can be transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory (2 Corinthians 3).  

James 3 is the chapter known for its passage on taming the tongue. We often associate this phrase with restraining the tongue, keeping it from doing harm. I like to think of it in the positive, as well. We should harness our speech to do with it the great goods that God equips us for. Certainly we need to keep from hurtful language, but speech has so much power for good. We get a sense in the passage that complete control over the tongue is impossible, but that should not prevent us from faithfully working on this area of our life.

I already used this quote once before, but I like it so much and it applies so well to this idea of taming the tongue for good. So forgive my repetition.

But God has put his Word into the mouth of men in order that it may be communicated to other men. When one person is struck by the Word, he speaks it to others. God has willed that we should seek and find His living Word in the witness of a brother, in the mouth of a man. Therefore, the Christian needs another Christian who speaks God’s Word to him. He needs him again and again when he becomes uncertain and discouraged, for by himself he cannot help himself without belying the truth. He needs his brother man as a bearer and proclaimer of the divine word of salvation. He needs his brother solely because of Jesus Christ. The Christ in his own heart is weaker than the Christ in the word of his brother; his own heart is uncertain, his brother’s is sure.
Bonhoeffer, Life Together

James 3 is also the text for our focus passage this week, so I hope you take a look. I think we tend to underestimate the power and influence of our own speech and maybe this week you can go through some of the questions and reflect on the role that speech has in your own life–for good or for bad.

Paul describes the pitfalls that surround Timothy and that will also come in the last days, putting these alongside of commands to follow in his teachings and lead others in the same way. He gives Timothy what seems like a simple charge, but by no means an easy one. Timothy doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel, rather Paul wants Timothy to continue with what he has heard. To keep true to the message of the gospel and not be ashamed to proclaim it (1:8).

I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.
2 Timothy 1:5

Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 1:13

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:14-15

To face the demands of his ministry, Timothy must not veer from the message he has received from Paul and from family, and importantly from God’s Word. It is simple enough, but it is a difficult task for Timothy as he will come up against false teachings and false teachers. Paul anticipates the push back Timothy will receive, since he knows of it firsthand. People do not like to be corrected or challenged, so he encourages Timothy.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
2 Timothy 1:6-7

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
2 Timothy 2:24-26

This isn’t then a work of Timothy’s based in his own opinions. Just as he was blessed with teachings from the sacred writings, he needs to continue in that way and base his teaching upon that same authority.

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.
2 Timothy 3:16-17

To complicate matters Timothy is a young man and Paul, in 1 Timothy, touches on this as well, again anticipating some of the problems.

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
1 Timothy 4:12-16

In and around the church there will be those who flee the truth and turn toward themselves. Just read the beginning of 2 Timothy 3 and you will find a dire description of the last days that is sadly not unlike any time in history. God’s way is ignored and the demanding call of Christ that leads to hardship and persecution (2 Tim 2:3, 3:12, 4:5) is rejected. To meet this culture head on does not require some silver bullet. Timothy doesn’t need something brand new to share Christ. Timothy doesn’t need to be someone different (him being young is fine). What does he need? What does Paul instruct Timothy to do in watching over the church? Remember Jesus Christ. Guard the faith by the help of the Holy Spirit. Flee evil, pursue righteousness. It is simple and Paul charges Timothy in this way:

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
2 Timothy 4:1-5

If you haven’t noticed, there have been fewer posts this past week. I’ve been on vacation and busy with extra people around. But that may be the case for you, too. So maybe you’ve had less time to read. So if you are pressed for time, I’d rather you read your Bible readings rather than read this website.

This new week we start into Ezekiel and continue through Matthew. As we have been celebrating Christmas I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing how the story continues through the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus didn’t just come to be born, but to live and die for us. It’s good to see what he came to do.

Jude is a very short letter thought to have been written by the brother of Jesus. There is one part of its one chapter that stood out to me and it was the interaction of the angel Michael with the devil. Here is an archangel, the NLT reads ‘the mightiest of angels’, and when confronting the devil, Michael still does not rely on his own authority. He says, “the Lord rebuke you!”

When we’re doing well in life it is easy to start feeling pretty self-sufficient, even in the area of our Spiritual life. We think we can take the wheel for a while and take responsibility for ourselves. But we are always supposed to humbly follow Christ, relying on his power and his authority for all we do. If even an archangel confronts the devil by relying on Christ’s authority, how could we do anything else when it comes to trials and temptations? It is folly to rest on our own strength, especially when the power of God himself is offered to us.

I learned during a Walk Thru the Bible seminar years ago when I was in youth group a way to remember some of what Nehemiah is about. It helps if you say Nehemiah out loud first to hear what it sounds like. The instructor said Nehemiah can be remembered by slightly mispronouncing his name as Knee-High-Miah, and that was as tall as the wall he was building. Now this may not actually be factual–but it is a bit ridiculous and the more ridiculous something is, the easier it is to remember. I hope you’ll now always remember that Nehemiah involves the rebuilding of a wall.

It is thought that this book was originally coupled as one book along with Ezra, under that name. I tried to then couple them in our reading, but reversed the order of Scripture because I wanted to balance out the number of chapters so that as we get even closer to Christmas we’d be reading the Christmas story from the book of Matthew. Both of these books gives details regarding the return from exile and the work of returning life to its proper order, including worship and rebuilding projects.

I tried to upload this week’s focus passage in a different way this week since I was away from my computer, and I thought I had succeeded. I even bragged to my wife that it was complicated, but I figured it out.

Well, I spoke too soon. I’ve heard of some problems so I have gotten to a computer and fixed the issue. (Or at least I think I really have this time!) Sorry for any inconveniences.

To make it all the easier, here’s the link:

Q3 W10 Focus Passage 1 John 1