Category: Living Daily

Discipline

Two cyclists exerting effort climbing a steep mountain road during a race with spectators cheering.

“Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days.” Proverbs 19:20 Berean Standard Bible

Discipline. For me, discipline has meant punishment, like for not following the rules or making mistakes. Not a fan.

It is, however, a word also used in training, like for a bicycle marathon.

In other Bible versions discipline is rendered as instruction. Its origin is Latin, and meant instruction, training, knowledge. It entered Middle English with the original meaning of teaching and learning. At some point it came to mean chastisement and later evolved into orderly conduct.

Evolved may not be correct, as discipline seems to convey three things: teaching/learning, chastisement, AND orderly conduct.

Interestingly, in the Jewish Publication Society version of the Tanakh (Old Testament), from 1917, Proverbs 19:20 is translated as “Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.”

This isn’t the only word used in English translations that can easily be misinterpreted. In the previous column, Listen to counsel https://jonahzsong.blog/?p=6087, the graphic has the word wait, as in “wait on the LORD.” Does it mean wait as in “please sit here and wait for me.” What about people who wait on tables? Seems the original word wait was waite, and meant to watch, and could have the connotation of longing. There are entire phrases that can mean one thing to one person, and something entirely different to another person, such as “rightly divide. . .(2 Timothy 2:15)“

There are many ways in which the Bible can be understood and taught. May GOD enlighten our hearts, in the Name of Jesus, in the Power of Spirit.

As Apostle Paul prayed (Ephesians 1:15-23):
For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

LORD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Listen to counsel

An older man holding a Bible and explaining Isaiah 40:31 to a young man sitting in a chair

“Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days.” Proverb 19:20.

This proverb was added to the my note taking simply because I thought I ought to reconsider advice.

I rarely seek advice from people. In the past I’ve shared thoughts with friends, and they’ve been quite eager to tell me what I should do.

There are times when people seem to just find me and tell me what they would do. I’ve felt like a magnet, attracting all sorts of possibly well-meaning folks.

Does King Solomon say we must take advice? “Listen to advice and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days.” Listen! Elsewhere we are advised to seek out many counselors. Listening to advice. Seeking out alternative viewpoints. Decisions are ours to make. We listen to counselors for alternatives, cautions that another “set of eyes” may see, differing viewpoints. Seeking out counsel is good. Of course it is, GOD through King Solomon says so.

But wait, there’s more. Before we go charging out, sit back down, we’re not done yet.

In the very next proverb, King Solomon declares “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”

Seems to me the decision is mine, and having a variety of opinions and alternatives to choose from is GODLY. Then I take my thoughts to our LORD in prayer, my decision to our LORD that His will is done, for His “purposes will stand.”

Next time it’d be good for me to take a quick glance at Discipline,
another touchy subject.

LORD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

The diligent are satisfied

Man and woman placing sandbags in floodwater near a house

“A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied” (Proverbs 13:4)

The Hebrew root for “diligent” (חָרוּץ, ^charuts^) implies sharpness or decisiveness, indicating a person who is industrious and proactive.

This is my third note from a recent read through Proverbs. It seems to me it’s good to remember that there are consequences for slacking. The image displays the urgency of the task, the need for completion, and the consequences of giving up because “It’s just too much work.”

Another form of diligence is described by the authors of “Got Questions”: We are told in Proverbs 4:23 to guard our hearts with diligence because everything we do flows from the heart. If we are not diligent to guard against falsehood, evil thoughts, and lustful desires, our enemy Satan is standing by to take advantage. Diligence implies an intentional action of guarding our hearts, rather than a passive acceptance of everything that enters. Second Corinthians 10:5–6 gives an example of how to guard our hearts by “taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” As a sentry is diligent in guarding a fortress, so must we be diligent in guarding our hearts and minds.

LORD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

The wicked will rot

Broken tombstone for Eliza Reed, 1802-1847, with a speech bubble saying 'A dirty resting place...'

“. . .the name of the wicked will rot.” (Proverb 10:7)

King Solomon had a way with words. So did his father, King David.

This part of the proverb contrasts the memory of the righteous with the memory of the wicked.

While the memory of the righteous is a blessing to us, the memory of the wicked should fade away into the silence of oblivion. Should. It seems it doesn’t always do that. “Hollywood” dramatizes wickedness. I suppose the argument could be made that it has a cathartic effect, like the Greek tragedies. It seems to me it simply encourages people to think they can make a name for themselves through evil.

It also jades the thinking of immature Christians; they forget that the path of the wicked leads to the compost pile, while the righteous in Messiah will have eternal life in Messiah.

Our lack of forgiveness for the hurts, trespasses, perpetrated against us also prevents the bad memories from fading away. We are tormented from their grave by our memories. We keep them alive when they should simply decompose, fade away, be remembered no more. If I don’t forgive, I allow that which has hurt me in the past to define me in the present, and in the future. My life is the rotting life.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Monday Memories: In Memory of Lidia

I’m haunted by Lidia’s face. Is it her gentle, shy smile? Is it her lovely dark eyes framed by perfect eyebrows?

LIDIA LEBOWITZ. Born in Sarospatak, Hungary, in 1933.

The younger of two sisters, Lidia was born to Jewish parents living in Sarospatak, a small town in northeastern Hungary. Lidia’s parents owned a successful dry goods business. At the time, ready-made clothes were still rare in the countryside. Townspeople and local farmers would purchase fabric at the Lebowitz store and then take it to their tailor or seamstress to be sewn into clothes.

1933-39: Lidia was 2 when her Aunt Sadie, who had immigrated to the United States many years earlier, came to visit with her two children, Arthur and Lillian. All the cousins had a good time playing together on their grandparents’ farm. On the trip over from America, Lidia’s aunt’s ship had docked in Hamburg, Germany, and Aunt Sadie had seen Nazis marching in the streets. Aunt Sadie was worried about what could happen to her family in Sarospatak.

1940-44: In 1944 German forces occupied Hungary. A month after the invasion, Hungarian gendarmes, acting under Nazi orders, evicted Lidia and her parents from their home. The Lebowitzes spent three days crowded into the local synagogue with hundreds of other Jewish citizens. Then they were all transferred to the nearby town of Satoraljaujhely, where some 15,000 Jews were squeezed into a ghetto set up in the gypsy section of town. The ghetto residents had a hard time getting enough food to eat.

The ghetto was liquidated in May and June of 1944. All the Jews were deported in sealed freight cars to Auschwitz. Lidia and her parents were never heard from again.

Note: This information was obtained from
the United States Holocaust Museum
Washington, D.C.

Friday Notes: Office of the Discerners

“Silence is often golden.
Many times, we are truly discerning when we say nothing at all.”
—Thomas R. Schreiner

There has arisen across the land a new breed of prophets. They are “discerners.” They have been given the “Gift of Discernment.” They are Ministers of Discernment. They have YouTube Channels devoted to their Ministry of Discernment. No one is out of their reach. No One. Anyone with whom they disagree is subject to their condemnation. They will silence us all if we disagree.

The are the new condemnationists. These “discerners” began as ultra-fundamentalists, and progressed into merely angry, modern-day pharisees. A couple thousand years ago Jesus called the pharisees white-washed tombs. It’s as appropriate today as it was then.

Yet there is a genuine place for discernment. And I would argue that in these increasingly contentious times, with a predominately atheistic society that includes political leaders, business leaders, and YouTube “Culture Creators,” we need the gift of discernment. We need it for ourselves. We need those who’ve truly been assigned to the Office of Discernment to build up the Body of Christ. The key here is “To Build Up The Body Of Christ.”

“One of the spiritual gifts God gives the Church is discernment (1 Corinthians 12:10). The Church needs people who are able to discern error since we’re called upon to “test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).” —from “When the Spiritual Gift of Discernment Turns Sour,” by By Thomas R. Schreiner, Lifeway Research, Insights—Personal Development, Oct 26, 2018

“Too often, people think they have the gift of discernment when in fact they have a critical, fault-finding, cynical, and negative spirit,” wrote Mr. Schreiner. I see a trend these days to categorize preachers as either right or wrong, true or false. Then the “Discerners” attack. Certainly there are people living today outside the Christian Church that are anti-christ in their views and actions. There are also people within the Christian Church who do not preach truth. And then there are those preachers that are mostly preaching the “mystery of the Gospel” and teaching mostly appropriately from GOD’s Word. Mostly. How can we expect a preacher to be one hundred percent accurate in his—yes, his—preaching? Jesus is perfect. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but we are not. We come to the podium broken individuals doing the best we can, given our shameful state. If we come to the podium thinking otherwise, we are the pharisee pointing out the tax collector, saying “I’m so glad I’m not like him.” Ugh!

The Redeemed of the LORD are called to discern. As such it is their job to take from a preacher what is for them, to glean truth from the harvest of words spoken from the pulpit.

“Those who are truly discerning recognize truth and goodness wherever they find it. Properly understood, it’s one of God’s gifts to his people,” wrote Trevin Wax —“The Dangerous Gift of Discernment,” in The Gospel Coalition, Nov 5, 2018.

As for those who have received some particular insight, even LORD’s appointment to the Office of Discernment, there is a difficult road to follow.

“People with discernment face the temptation of wielding their gift as a sword of condemnation rather than healing,” wrote Trevin Wax.

Ministry is service. Service is to build up. We build up the Body of Christ as we are led by Spirit. Are there times we must tear down things? Sure. However, I see little value of condemnation before the world of unbelievers. It seems unworthy of a Child of GOD to attack his brother before pagans. Would not a better strategy be to approach an individual privately, taking along a few other spiritually discerning persons. Hum, I think I read that somewhere.

At this point I feel a bit sarcastic. (Okay, two bits more.) That approach wouldn’t get a lot of “likes” on YouTube. Getting “likes” is how one gets higher on the algorithm, and gets better exposure, and More Money. Cash is King.

Spirit’s Gifts are wonderful. Apostle Paul wrote to us about them, and to the Corinthian Church (first letter).

12:31 Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

And yet I will show you the most excellent way.

13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Psalm 24: Bearing Away a Blessing

He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the GOD of his salvation.
Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the GOD of Jacob. Selah

In this next section of Psalm 24, King David speaks of receiving a blessing from GOD. Pastor Albert Barnes states that receiving blessings from the LORD literally is “bear away a blessing.”

King David says of those who are allowed to ascend the Holy Mountain and stand before GOD must have “clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.” They must already be Righteous Ones. I think of Esther’s fear—in the Book of Esther—of approaching the king. If she did so unbidden, the king could either invite her in or have her killed. This same fear prevented the people of Israel from approaching Mount Sinai in the desert after their rescue from Egypt.

To ascend to the Temple, to bear away a blessing from GOD, we must be pure. Again, Apostle Paul plainly states we are not at all, in any way, righteous.

Before the destruction of The Temple, we could offer a sacrifice. Annually the Chief Rabbi offered sacrifices for the people during Yom Kippur. It was all a little like wrapping a leaking pipe with tape. Works for a minute, then fails.

GOD has a plan. He had it before creation. He knows, as the Scriptures state, the heart of humankind. He provided a way. The only way to the Father is through His Son, Jesus. We, through Jesus, are now pure and are entitled to stand before GOD. We take away a blessing.

That blessing, wrote Pastor Barnes, is to “be welcomed and treated as a friend of God. The wicked and the impure could not hope to obtain this; but he who was thus righteous would be treated according to his real character, and would meet with the assurances of the divine favor. It is as true now as it was in the days of the psalmist, that it is only the man who is in fact upright and holy that can obtain the evidences of the divine approval. God will not regard one who is living in wickedness as a righteous man, nor will he admit such a man to His favor here, or to His dwelling-place hereafter.”

Thanks be to GOD our Father, and to His Son, our Savior.

LORD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

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Sunday’s Psalm: 24

“In the beginning, GOD created
the heavens
and the earth.”

Genesis. “In the beginning, GOD created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of GOD was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And GOD saw that the light was good. And GOD separated the light from the darkness. GOD called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.”

Psalm 24 is a Psalm for Sunday Celebrating GOD, Creation, Righteousness, and the Blessings of GOD.

A Psalm of David
The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein,
for he has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.

Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.

He will receive blessing from the LORD
and righteousness from the GOD of his salvation.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the GOD of Jacob. Selah

Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory! Selah

The first stanza affirms that GOD is Creator of the Universe, and calls to mind the first day of creation. In his Notes, Pastor Albert Barnes wrote: “It belongs to Him in a sense somewhat similar to our right of property in anything that is the production of our hands, or of our labor or skill. We claim that as our own.” For Pastor Barnes, if we think we have complete right to our property, its usage, its disposal, and I might add its protection, then think how much greater is GOD’s right to what He designed and created. Our Creator has “right to direct man in what way He shall employ that portion of the productions of the earth which may be entrusted to Him,” wrote Pastor Barnes.

There are absolutely no limits to GOD’s ownership and authority over “The earth. . . and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.” GOD has a claim upon everything from the beginning up to this present moment and into the future. GOD, however, allows us to use what is His. Along with the privilege to “own” property, including animals and plants, we have obligations. As Pastor Barnes put it, GOD has “the right to direct man in what way he shall employ (what) is entrusted to him. What we think of as our property is a trust. Ultimately we are accountable to our Creator for the way we use His property.

LORD willing I’ll share some thoughts on the second stanza soon.

LORD Bless, Keep, Shine. . .