June 10
1 Kings 7:1-50 | PS 128:1-6 | Prov 16:31-33 | Acts 7:30-50
There is only One who is always right, and He is God. There is only One that lasts forever, and He is God and His eternal destinations and the souls that fill them. But we lift up everyone and everything else as though somehow there is perfection found elsewhere. I don't care how profound you deem your pastor or rabbi to be, they are not perfect and will make mistakes. I don't care how enlightening the devotionals you choose to pour over might be, they will have errors. Only God's Word is inerrant from beginning to end. I don't care how nice your house is, your families are, your neighborhoods might be, none of them will last forever, for even our bodies, our earthly tents eventually crumble. This is not meant to be depressing but an encouragement to refocus on that which is perfect and that which will never decay. It is time to realize that only God holds our lives and all the answers.
It might appear to be a simple history lesson that Stephen is giving the religious leaders in Acts 7. But it is so much more. He pointed out that their ancestors, their priests, their leaders, though respected often erred. We read in Acts 7:39-42, "But our ancestors refused to listen to Moses. They rejected him and wanted to return to Egypt. They told Aaron, ‘Make us some gods who can lead us, for we don’t know what has become of this Moses, who brought us out of Egypt.’ So they made an idol shaped like a calf, and they sacrificed to it and celebrated over this thing they had made. Then God turned away from them and abandoned them to serve the stars of heaven as their gods!...". Stephen was pointing out that just as their ancestors and leaders missed it previously, and rejected God, those listening to him had also missed it and rejected their Messiah, even seeing to His death. We read in 1 Kings 7 of tremendous building projects undertaken by King Solomon. The stones, the cedar, the jewels and precious metals. They must have been beautiful to behold. The one thing they all now have in common is none of them any longer exist.
How long will we continue to quote imperfect sources. How long will we elevate people who are fallible. How long will we long for the things of this world which cannot fully satisfy or last. God knows all of this, and He knows how frail and hopeless we are in our own strength and power, yes, even our respected leaders. This is why He sent His Son, Jesus the Messiah. He died so that we could live. He gave up His life, a perfect sacrifice, so that our sins could be "paid in full". He, and He alone offers us eternity in heaven with God. Our pastors and rabbis though well meaning can not bring us to heaven. It is a good thing to find an earthly shepherd who can help us navigate this difficult road on earth, but we need to be attached to our Bibles, for one can make mistakes while the Bible never does. Please don't fall for the nonsense that going through Scripture is difficult because of all the translations and interpretations. We read other books, don't we? We read history books, don't we? The overwhelming majority of Scripture is to be taken literally, from the first eleven chapters of Genesis to the conclusion in Revelation. Yes, there are poetical books in which allegory is used, but may we never allegorize those portions of Scripture which God gave us to be taken literally. The Bible is common sense and should be taken that way rather than reading it like a mystery novel always looking for something below the surface. Yes, there are deeper meanings, but these only enhance the more obvious reading , not detract from it. So, please continue on as we go through God's Word chapter by chapter, book by book.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: