What Pride Is and Isn't

But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. “What are you doing around here anyway?” he demanded. “What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!” (1 Samuel 17:28 NASB) 

The Devil is called the accuser of the brethren.  Those who struggle with pride are the first to charge others of this offense.  The Enemy is very skillful in accusing us of sin generally that we may not be guilty of specifically.  

We are all of the offspring of Adam.  We have the tendency toward pride in our hearts, yet God deals with it in his time and way.  The Devil is the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10). God, generally, does not reveal pride to us through accusations.  The Devil tries to condemn us, God convicts us.  Conviction of pride has specificity to it rather than vague charges.  Pride always has feet to it.  It is about an attitude or action.  If someone says that you are conceited, yet does not tell you how you are so, I would ignore it.   Condemnation makes you feel guilty without giving you the information you need to deal with it.  Conviction, being specific, coupled with repentance leads to hope and freedom.

To ease their consciences, people are skillful in projecting their sins on us.  How did David respond? He said, “What have I done? Was it not just a question?” (v. 29) If your heart does not convict you explicitly, you should not let man condemn you generally.  The Devil would like to keep us hopeless by making us feel guilty with no way out. God is not the accuser of the brethren.

Image used with permission by Microsoft.

Ken Barnes the author of “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Blogs: http://kensblog757.blogspot.com

            http://gleanings757.blogspot.com

Lofty Eyes

An Arrogant Look

O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;
Nor do I involve myself in great matters,
Or in things too difficult for me. (Psalm 131:1 NASB)

Whether you are proud or not, you will be accused of being so.  David’s brother said he was proud (1 Samuel 17:28 NLT), yet he knew the condition of his heart.  He could have remained in the sheepfolds as well as rise to be a king.  Lofty eyes always stem from a proud heart. 

Pride tends to make us jealous of those above us, and disdain those under us.  Lofty eyes motivate us to look to our position in life for our acceptance.  We compare ourselves with others in our performance to derive our value.  Our hearts have a tendency towards vanity like a baby seeks its mother’s breasts.  David describes himself as a weaned child (v. 2).  David had a quieted soul because he did not strive for a station in life that was higher or lower than God had chosen for him.  The most significant people in this life often to do not recognize their greatness, which may be a distinct characteristic of humility. David realized his own limitations as he said, “Nor do I involve myself in great matters or in things too difficult for me.”  This may have been the key to his child-like dependence on God.  

A haughty look is a product of what motivates us.  If we are jealous of those over us or despise those under us, we have lofty eyes. David knew the accusation about his motivation was false because he felt no need to strive for authority.  We all have the tendency for pride in our hearts, but David encourages us that we can be weaned from it.

Image used with permission by Microsoft.

Ken Barnes the author of “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Blogs: http://kensblog757.blogspot.com

            http://gleanings757.blogspot.com

Heaven's Court

God presides over heaven’s court; he pronounces judgment on the judges: 

(Psalm 82:1 NLT)

There is a chief justice of heaven’s court, and his name is the God of Justice.  The judges and magistrates on this earth wield enormous power and influence.  When those who administer justice in this world walk in darkness and dispense injustice, there is still a God who rules and reigns.  He fights for the rights of the poor and needy.  He brings judgment on the judges.

The recent Supreme Court confirmation process shed light on the monumental struggle that is taking place in our nation between good and evil.  I am not saying that all people who were either for or against the confirmation, were either good or evil.  Yet, there is a struggle where there is no gray area, and that is between justice and injustice.

The judges in our nation have deemed that it is just to take innocent life through abortion.  It is one thing to do wrong, but to call wrong, right is eviler. Matthew Henry wrote, “To do unjustly is bad, but judge unjustly is far worse because it is doing wrong in the name of right.”

Judges rule by divine decree, yet when they lose accountability to Godly authority, everything starts to break down.  Their consciences become seared, and they become ignorant and walk in darkness (v. 5).  When we begin to call injustice, justice, we are the road to national decline.   When those who are in positions of public trust walk in darkness, it brings trouble on the whole nation.  As long as the law of our land says it is right to take innocent life, we will be a marked nation.  The chief justice of heaven’s court will have to bring judgment on the judges.

Image used with permission by Microsoft.

Ken Barnes the author of “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Blogs: http://kensblog757.blogspot.com

            http://gleanings757.blogspot.com

The Sum of God's Word

The sum of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting. (Psalm 119:160 NASB)

All of God’s word is true, yet taking one part of it without considering the other parts, will not lead you to the truth.

You can make the Bible say whatever you want, just by emphasizing one portion and ignoring other parts.  The Bible always interprets itself.  You must compare Scripture with Scripture.  Most false religions base their beliefs on certain verses in the Bible, but not the full counsel of God.  The New Testament admonishes us to rightly divide the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV).  Find out what a verse means in the context of where and when it was written and compared to other Scripture.

In the Bible, you have absolute and relative truths.  Absolute truths are ones where you see no alternative meanings in any other segments of the Bible.  A relative truth applies to a specific time frame or cultural setting, but cannot be universally applied.  An example of this is men and long hair. In I Corinthians 11:14 Paul forbids men to have long hair, yet in Numbers 6:5-6, the Nazarites were forbidden to cut their hair. Apparently, the length of hair for a man is not a universal issue.  Taking an absolute truth and making it relative is liberalism.  Making a relative truth into an absolute is legalism.  Neither path brings us to the truth.

Are you rightly dividing the word of truth?  Do you have a favorite verse in the Bible, but ignore its balance in other parts of Scripture?  If you are, you may be trending toward liberalism or legalism.  Only the sum of God’s word is truth.

Image used with permission by Microsoft.

Ken Barnes the author of “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Blogs: http://kensblog757.blogspot.com

            http://gleanings757.blogspot.com

Use It or Lose It

And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”  Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

(Luke 4: 4, 8 NASB)

 

It is apparent how Jesus dealt with the Devil. He said, “it is written,” yet If we do not know the Word, and continually use it, we will lose it.

For many years we knew the phone numbers we most frequently used. Repetition is the key to all learning.  With the advent of the smartphone, we no longer had to remember our phone numbers.  We tap a name or picture and make a call.  Technology is terrific for making calls, but it does not do much for our spiritual warfare. You can tap on a Bible app, and it will bring up a verse, yet if you do not have that Scripture in your head and heart, it will never protect you.  You cannot use, “it is written,” unless you know what is written. This comes about only through old-fashion reading, study, and meditation.  There are no shortcuts, its time spent with God.

Just as we no longer remember our phone numbers, despising basic spiritual disciplines such as Bible reading and study will make us devoid of our weapons of warfare. It will take away from us the truth we need to deal with lies of the enemy.  Thank God for mobile devices where we can take libraries of Biblical content with us in our hand.  Yet some things never change.  Without the discipline of the repetition of time spent with Christ, we will never experience the renewing of our minds.  Concerning the Word of God, if you don’t use it, you will lose it. 

Image used with permission by Microsoft.

Ken Barnes the author of “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website: https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Blogs: http://kensblog757.blogspot.com

            http://gleanings757.blogspot.com