Author: BJ Armstrong

Ecclesiastes 7-9, Psalm 46, 2 Timothy 3

Ive listened to many sermons about 2 timothy 3:16.  The focus is on Scripture.  “All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”  That verse rightfully sets up God’s word as a special gift to us.  But it’s, verse 17 that gives us the reason.

What is the benefit of having God’s ordained and infallible word at our fingertips?  In a word; complete.  2 Timothy 3:17 says that the word is breathed out so that we can be “complete.”  What does that mean, exactly?  Let’s first consider the Greek translation.  In his book, Shaped by the Word, M. Robert Mulloholand Jr. describes it this way.

The Greek word is a beautiful one it is the word artios, meaning that which is perfectly suited to its nature. If you when to a fruit bowl and found what you considered to be a perfect apple, you would call it artios.  It would be everything an apple ought to be.  it would possess the essence of “appleness.”  

 “Everything that an apple ought to be.”  You know what that is, right?  When you choose that apple, it has just the right color.  When you hold it, it has a certain firmness, such that you can almost taste it before you bite it.  When you do bite it, there is a crispiness to it and it’s juice pours from the corner of your mouth.  It’s perfect and complete, living out its life exactly the way that it was created to do.

That is our calling in 2 Timothy.  To allow God’s word into our heart so that we can be formed, fitted and equipped to do exactly what God created us to do.

Proverbs 26-28, 1 Thesalonians 3

It’s about an hour until showtime.  The show is the Presidential debate.  Both candidates would be wise to listen to Proverbs 26:4.

Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.

How did they do?  Were they in control?  Did they let their emotions take over?  That, according to Proverbs is the mark of a fool.  Maybe they did better.  Verse 5 gives us a picture of what a proper response looks like.

Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.

 Do you know who did this well?  Ted Lasso.  Maybe you remember.  In season 1, he was called out by the famous reporter, Trent Crimm.  Trent attempted to goad him with talk of his inexperience, and inability to lead.  He cited, factually, the losing record.  Lasso knew he was right.

Most of us would respond to such an attack foolishly, allowing anger and emotion to take over.  Not Lasso.  He responds humbly.  He acknowledges his lack of experience and highlights the real goal. “I’m going to do the best job I can, helping these young fellas be the best versions of themselves on and off the field,” he says.  Lasso’s wise response defuses the situation, replacing Crimm’s criticism with curiosity.

Proverbs 11-13, Psalms 8, Romans 13

My calendar is packed.  It has to be.  There are problems to solve, deadlines to meet and profits to make.  I analyze spreadsheets, time-tables, work orders, and service lists, followed by invoices, purchase orders, receivables and balance sheets.  Then, I see the need for more sales, so I consider our database touches, marketing campaigns, call schedules and missed opportunities.

“That’s life,” I think.  It has been that way forever and it will always be.  “Suck it up.  Here, have a drink.  Relax”. But God says otherwise.

In an instant, God gives me perspective.  The sun shining through the trees, the sunset over the water, the stars in the sky, and the heat of the sun.  When i focus on it, I am gripped with wonder.

How does a sequoia grow so tall, or the mountains so massive?  Who set the moon, added the stars and brings the rain?  “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,” says the Psalmist (Psalms 8:3).

I know who.

The Psalmist declares him. “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,” he says (Psalms 8:3).

It is our Lord.  Our God!

With that remembrance, with that celebration of his majesty, I find my rightful place in this world.  My heart is full and the world is right.  Our Lord, our God makes it so.

2 Samuel 21-23, Psalm 18, Romans 3

I read recently that doubt and fear are Satan’s best tools.  If he can get you to doubt God’s goodness, God’s power, and God’s protection, he wins.  Once doubt is in place, fear takes over.  It’s a big victory.

Once our soul is given over to doubt and fear, life is perilous and hope is thin. Without God’s power, we have no refuge, no rock, no fortress and no shield.  Without God’s goodness, we cannot be drawn from the many waters, or rescued from our strong enemy.

Do you want to know where fear and doubt show up for me?  David, in the face of danger,  is able to claim righteousness (v20).  “According to the cleanliness of my hands,” he says, “God rewarded me. For, I have kept the ways of the Lord.”

But, what about me?  I haven’t done a very good job keeping the ways of the Lord.  I can’t claim righteousness like David did, nor am I one of God’s chosen like David was.  How will I ever survive?  Doubt and fear prevail.  Satan is winning.

It only feels like Satan is winning.  He is easily overpowered by the Truth.  You see, its not the cleanliness of my hands that God measures nor is it my ability to keep the ways of the Lord.  There is only one way to gain and maintain God’s goodness, power and protection; Jesus Christ.  By proclaiming Him, we are made right with God.  That means we are made righteous (Romans 3:22).  What’s more, that promise is not reserved for “God’s chosen people.”  Because of Christ, we are all chosen.

Once freed from the lies of the evil one, there is only one response.  David got it right in Psalm 18, as he exclaimed

The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation!

2 Sam 11-12, 1 Chr 20, Ps 51 & 32, Acts 27

In April 2010, an oil platform called the BP Deepwater Horizon spilled an estimated 4 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico.  According to Time.com,

U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier said BP was mostly to blame for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico disaster, which killed 11 people and spewed oil into the water for 87 days. Barbier attributed 67% of the fault to BP, 30% to Transocean, which owned the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, and 3% to Halliburton, the cement contractor.

 But, instead of fully acknowledging their role, BP deflected blame, pointed fingers and downplayed the severity of the incident.  In the end, the company agreed to pay $7.8 million to settle the claims against them.  The settlement was made without BP admitting to any wrongdoing.

BP, of course, is not the only company to settle claims without admitting fault.  It happens all the time.  Enormous amounts of money are offered up to make the problem go away.  On some level, it works.

King David found himself in a bad spot.  It was discovered that he had an affair with Bathsheba and that he attempted to cover it up by killing her husband, Uriah.  Now, David had gotten on with his life.  With Uriah dead, he married Bathsheba and she had a baby.  But the Lord was ‘displeased’ (2 Samuel 11:26).  Consequently, the Lord took the life of the child.  But that’s not all.  God also promised to punish him by ‘raising up evil from his own house and giving his wives to his neighbor (2 Samuel 12:10-11).  Clearly, God was angry and justice had to prevail.

If you were David, what would you do?

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry,” I would exclaim, my voice trembling. “I’ll do anything. Anything! Here, take this money.”

“I’ll give it to the church. I swear, I’ll help the homeless. I’ll give it to the poor. Just please, believe me.”

“God, you have to see—you’re going to be so happy with all the good I am about to do!”

“Surely we can make some kind of deal.”

What this confession misses, David gets right.  His first response when confronted was  confession. “I have sinned against the Lord,” he says.  In Psalm 51, David takes his confession deeper.  He pours his heart out to the Lord privately.  But this also happens publicly.  David made no attempt to cover up anything that he did.

Did you notice what is conspicuously missing from David’s confession?  Money.  In fact, he outright rejects the temptation to present money as reparation to God.  He says, “For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalms 51:16-17).

Because of David’s confession and repentance, God is able to continue his aszzwork through him, starting with the blessing of another child, Solomon.  The sins and mistakes of the past have not been erased or eliminated as if they never happened.  They still exist and are well documented.  But, now, through David’s faithfulness, and God’s loving mercy, they are redeemed.

1 Samuel 17, 1 Chronicles 2, Acts 12

Being alone with my thoughts is dangerous.  Dangerous, because I am focused on who I am.  While I like who I am, when I am alone, I focus on my shortcomings.  I find myself comparing who I am to who I want to be.  Often, I will compare who I am with who others expect me to be.  Facts are, I fall way short of who I want to be and even shorter of who others expect me to be.  This is why being alone with my thoughts is often destructive.  In the end, alone sends my heart and mind into chaos, replacing my confidence with anxiety and gripped with fear.

Fear and anxiety send me looking for answers.  How do I eliminate it?  My heart longs to be restored.  My quest for restoration leads me to podcasts, books, and videos, attempting to gain understanding from others’ experiences.  Their success, I think, can be my success.  Content creators promise it too.  If I follow these “10 Simple Steps,” for example, I too can convert “fear into fuel.”  This works.  For a minute.  That’s when the excitement and the newness wear off.  I find myself disappointed and distressed, just as I was before.  Alone again, with my thoughts.

In Acts 17, Paul presents the truth differently.  He teaches me not to be alone with my thoughts, but to be together.  Being together with my thoughts, counter-balance’s the world’s wisdom with Truth.  Instead of focusing on who I am, Paul reminds me of who I am created to be.  These are God’s promises.  When I am alone, I forget them.  If, however, I invite God to join me, he is quick to remind me.  First, he says that he will never forsake me.  Then, he tells me about the full life he has ready for me.  Finally, he freely fills me with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control.  These are the building blocks for confidence, blessing, and courage.  As I move through together time, I quickly find that not only is this who God created me to be, it is who I AM.

Acts 17:26-28 (NLT) From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us.  For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.

1 Samuel 6-8, Acts 7

I can still hear the grey-haired lady in the front of the room shrill, “who remembers the memory verse?  I have something special for you.”  This always struck fear into my heart.  She would go around the room having each child recite the memory verse individually.  I never knew it.  But that didn’t get me out of it.  The teacher would help me along, sounding out the first couple of letters prompting me to say the word.

“Th..  Th….  Th….” She would repeat.

Oh “the,” I would say.

“Good Job, BJ.”   “L…. L… Lo…” was next.

“L..Lord,” I replied sheepishly.

“Yes!” she exclaimed.  “The Lord, what….?”

“Is?”

“Good.  The Lord is…. what?” she prompted.

“G…good?”

“Here is your sticker, BJ” she rewarded.

My gut wrenches as I recall it.  It happened every Sunday.  Pure torture.  I couldn’t figure out why I had to know this stuff anyway.  Everyone knows that “the Lord is good” (Psalm 100:5).

If it wasn’t the verses, it was all the people.  I never did understand who came first.  All those Old Testament guys were a blur.  Relief always came when we got to the New Testament because “Jesus” was the answer to every question.  Why do we have to know all this stuff anyway?

I would bet that Stephen was a committed Sunday School student.  He spent the time and energy required to develop a full understanding of the Bible.  He knew the characters by name.  He knew what they did and he knew when they did it.  More importantly, he was able to understand God’s work through each person.  This all happens in Acts 7.  Stephen was arrested and put on trial.  Do you know what he did?  He didn’t preach a sermon or tell an elaborate tale. He did not make threats, or accuse others.  He didn’t even defend himself.  Stephen did one simple thing that he had been preparing his whole life for.  He told God’s story.  In telling God’s story, he illustrated his provision, his deliverance, his salvation, and his love.   I think Stephen deserves a sticker.

God’s story is worth knowing.  Its even worth memorizing.

Judges 17-18, Psalm 21, Acts 1

In Acts 1, the disciples are hanging around Jerusalem after Jesus’ death. While they wait, Jesus comes to them.  He talks with them about the kingdom of God. Talking to the one who died on the cross, brought them hope.  Hope that their dreams of a new life had not ended. In fact, their life with Jesus was very much alive. The disciples could feel the new world order upon them. This was the time that they had waited for. Jesus would now rule the world! Israel will finally be restored and all of God’s promises would now be fulfilled. The Bible explains these promises with words like freedom, liberty, fearlessness and peace, along with promises about healing our physical ailments and living prosperous lives. This was it. Israel will again be on top, the leader of all nations. Let’s go! But, Jesus wasn’t ready. He was holding them back. When they ask when it will happen, he responds, “You don’t get to know the time. Timing is the Father’s business” (Acts 1:7, Message). For now, he continues, “you will receive the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that will enable you to be my witnesses.”

In that moment, upon hearing Jesus’ answer, do you think the disciples were disappointed? Seriously, the victory party they were anticipating seemingly vanished into thin air. No doubt, they did not fully understand. Yet, they remained silent. Consider that their silence is an indication of their acceptance and submission. They trust Jesus with whatever is coming. Or, perhaps their hope is kindled in Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit. With his presence, Jesus explains, the disciples will receive power. In Greek, it is called “dynamis.” If you hear our modern words “dynamite” and “dynamic” in there, you are getting the idea. The Holy Spirit brings power that is explosive. His power provides “energy, ability, efficacy, and meaning.” With the Holy Spirit, Jesus explains, the name of Jesus will be extended “to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

I readily admit that this scripture reveals my ignorance of the Holy Spirit. To be sure, this American Christian often misuses and misinterprets the work of the Holy Spirit in my life, selfishly claiming His good work for myself.  Similar to the disciples, I want to use this power to reign over all.  If I cannot reign over all, I’ll settle for health and good fortune.  You see, when the Holy Spirit indwells us with the power of God, we can easily use His gifts to get ahead in this world.  According to John Maxwell, this is a defensive posture resulting from focusing on my short life and not on servicing all of God’s creation, extending His rule for eternity.

Contrast that with true Holy Spirit indwelling. Jesus releases the Holy Spirit to us so that we can share God’s love and meaning with the world. Aligning with Him means that I will use my gifts in concert with His vision, not mine. This is what the disciples were able to grasp. They quickly dropped their own pursuits and limited vision in favor of His. As we move through the book of Acts over the next several days, we get to watch the Holy Spirit work through the lives of Jesus’ disciples. The Spirit gives power is both dynamic and explosive in the lives of everyone that the disciples meet. It is the beginning of Jesus’ great vision to take God’s message of love and hope to the ends of the earth.  Today, we continue to carry out this vision.  How are we doing with it?

In his book Forgotten God, Francis Chan offers several great questions that help us evaluate our relationship with the Holy Spirit. Take some time to consider them.

• Can you say with confidence—from the depth of your being—that you know God and are known by Him?
• Do I want to lead, or do I want to be led by the Spirit?
• How would you be missed if you left this place? What would change? Basically, what difference does your presence here make? Or, as my youth pastor once asked me, what would your church (and the worldwide church) look like if everyone was as committed as you are? If everyone gave and served and prayed exactly like you, would the church be healthy and empowered? Or would it be weak and listless?