What Does God Demand?

"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" 37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." ESV Matthew 22:36-40

What is the greatest commandment? The question, albeit legitimate, was asked by a religious expert in the hopes of causing Jesus to misspeak. He was from a group that had already quizzed Jesus about taxes and the resurrection without tripping him up. But Jesus answered in typical, confounding, fashion. In two short statements Jesus summarized all of the Law and all of the Prophets: “…love the Lord your God with all your heart…[and] …love your neighbor as yourself.” Enough said; nobody argued the point further.

Do you ever yearn for a simpler, less hectic lifestyle? Do you wonder from time to time why we make “church” so hard with cumbersome traditions and rituals?” Well, these two commandments cut right to the heart of scripture and neither is particularly complicated or difficult to understand. They are actually both quiet simple and easily understood.

But history testifies that simple is not necessarily easy. The same Creator that hands us these two commandments had a simple program laid out for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden too. But it didn’t take long for them transgress God’s law. And on that fateful day when they ate the forbidden fruit, their lives and all of creation was forever changed. Even today, you and I live in a world still tainted by that original transgression (sin).

God demanded perfect obedience from Adam and Eve. And that was his prerogative as their Creator. God was perfectly just in requiring their perfect obedience to his simple command. But they couldn’t do it. So they were driven from the Garden of Eden; separated from God.

Now, here’s some food for thought: God demands perfect obedience from you and me too; and that’s his prerogative as our Creator. God is perfectly just in requiring our perfect obedience to his simple commands. So, the questions of the day are: Do you “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind?” And do you “love your neighbor as yourself?” And can you do it, every day, without fail?

More on this next week…

Ken worships at Tharptown Baptist Church in Russellville where he leads an adult Bible study. Comments are welcome and may be sent to kenaskew@charter.net.

Who is God?

"Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created." ESV Revelation 4:11

Here in the Deep South, we sometimes use language that is very familiar to us and simply assume that our hearers comprehend it as intended. Take this phrase for instance: “I am fixing (pronounced fxn) to go to town.” The phrase seems perfectly clear to me, as I’m sure it is to you, but use the same phrase in Boston and most people will immediately wonder what is broken and just how going to town will fix it. A more precise sentence might read, “I am about to leave for town;” which of course is easily comprehended by all.

We also have the distinction of living in the Bible belt. And we sometimes use Bible belt language that is not universally understood. Take this phrase: “I have been saved.” Now, the initiated correctly understand the phrase to be personal testimony of faith in Jesus Christ. But to the uninitiated, the same phrase will leave them wondering; saved from what?

Who is God? It seems like a straightforward question doesn’t it? But let me suggest that the question isn’t altogether clear for a lot of folks. Unfortunately, the word “God” means different things to different people. The quandary is best illustrated by this quote I picked up recently: “God created man in his image and now man has returned the compliment.” See the problem?

My personal conviction is that the God of the Bible is the One True God. And the Bible is never short on descriptions of God. In this one short verse in Revelation we see that he is Lord (or boss), worthy of glory and honor. It also affirms his distinction as the supreme Creator of everything; you, me, heaven and earth; everything. And it implies that creation is an act of his will. In other words, all of creation exists just because God wants it to! Wow.

I confess to being grieved at just how flippant our society treats these truths from the Bible. It is as if we simply don’t take God seriously. But, if he’s simply an image of our own creation, then why should we?

Well, the One True God is not our creation. The prophet Isaiah got a glimpse of his glory in a vision and could only respond by saying, “Woe is me! For I am lost…my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of host!” Isaiah got it. Isaiah got a glimpse of God in all his perfect holiness and splendor. Isaiah got a glimpse of the One True God; Lord and Creator. Have you seen the same God?

Ken worships at Tharptown Baptist Church in Russellville where he leads an adult Bible study. Comments are welcome and may be sent to kenaskew@charter.net.

The Highest Duty of Parenthood

“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.” ESV 2 Timothy 1:5

This past Sunday, Mother’s Day, I had an opportunity to speak at a local church. Being the special day that it was, I wanted to speak about some of the godly women mentioned in the Bible. I considered Eve, the mother of all living; Sarah, the wife of Abraham; Ruth, Naomi’s daughter in-law; even Mary, the mother of Jesus. But I was led to two lesser known women; Lois and Eunice.

As far as I can tell, Lois and Eunice were a couple of very ordinary women. Scripture mentions their names only once and that mention is hardly spectacular. Lois was the mother of Eunice. And Eunice was the mother of a young preacher named Timothy with whom the Apostle Paul spent no small amount of time counseling and mentoring.

But as I studied these two ordinary women, I came to the realization that their lives had and extraordinary impact. Their ordinary lives had an impact on eternity because they embraced the highest duty of parenthood; they shared their faith. Think about it. What greater gift can we impart to our children than a saving knowledge of God? I’ll go so far as to say that sharing your faith in the One True God of the Bible is the highest calling of parenthood. Paul tells us that these two women shared their faith with Timothy; a young man called out by God as a preacher.

The fruit of their sharing is apparent. Paul tells us that faith resided first in Lois, then in Eunice and finally with Timothy. And Timothy’s life must have given evidence of his internal faith because Paul says that he is “sure” that Timothy is a man of sincere faith. Timothy does more than pay lip-service to his faith; Timothy is living his faith. What a wonderful testimony!

This testimony of Timothy’s faith reminds me of Paul’s words in Romans 10:14: “But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”

We don’t know who shared their faith with Lois. But I perceive that she shared with Eunice and that they both shared with Timothy. And what was the result? The good news, that Christ is the way of salvation, was heard. The good news was believed. The good news took root. And the good news was shared with others.

Parents, you have no greater calling than as Christ’s witness to your children. Be sure they have heard the good news of Jesus Christ.

Ken worships at Tharptown Baptist Church in Russellville where he leads an adult Bible study. Comments are welcome and may be sent to kenaskew@charter.net.

Cedars of Lebanon

“And so I [Solomon] intend to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD said to David my father, 'Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.' 6 Now therefore command that cedars of Lebanon be cut for me…”
ESV 1 Kings 5:5-6

At the death of King David, Solomon (his son) begins the task of building a sanctuary for the Lord. The time seems right; God has granted Solomon a time of peace on all fronts and the Bible tells us that the nation was dealing with “neither adversary nor misfortune.” Times were good and the door for a building project was wide open.

So Solomon announces his building project and makes plans to hew timbers from the “cedars of Lebanon” for the project. Now, the cedars of Lebanon are mentioned several times in the Bible and each reference alludes to their majesty. Quite simply, these trees must have produced the choicest timbers in the world. For Solomon, only the best would suffice for his Lord’s house. These choice timbers, properly selected, hewn and set, would be the backbone of God’s house. And truly, scripture bears witness to the Temple’s final grandeur.

But the “church” is more than a building. In the broadest sense of the word, the church includes everyone who worships the One True God of the Bible. And according the Acts 1:8, the church “will be my [Christ’s] witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Now, in order to carry out this charge, the church must be in a continual, ongoing building mode.

To support this never ending building program, the church must continually raise, nurture, harvest and hew choice timbers and set them in their proper place in God’s church for the task of being Christ’s witness in all of the earth. Of course, I’m talking about people now. Those people called by God to teach and preach His word. And not just at home, but throughout our nation and our world.

Unlike the timely example of Solomon’s building project, the timing hardly ever seems right when it comes to sending out friends or family members to be witnesses for Christ. The objections and reasons for hesitation flow freely at such times. But those people called by God for the task, somehow always seem to muster the faith and determination to answer the call – the call to be choice cedars of Lebanon – and gladly accept their role and take their place as Christ’s witness in God’s true church.

How’s your church doing? Are you raising folks up, sending them out and supporting them in their calling?

Ken worships at Tharptown Baptist Church in Russellville where he leads an adult Bible study. Comments are welcome and may be sent to kenaskew@charter.net.