Beyond Mediocrity Blog

(Image courtesy of birdsandblooms.com.) (Author’s note: I encourage you to open your Bible to Psalm 88, read it, and then read this article with your Bible still open.) During the winter season, sunlight dims and darkens; temperatures drop and winds howl; and precipitation comes in the form of ice. The whole world seems frozen and dead. There is a psalm in the Bible that is known as the most depressing Psalm. In it, the author feels deserted, desperate, as good as dead, and by the end he is in no better place than where he began. The Psalter (the collection of Psalms in the Bible) was meant to be sung in temple worship by the Jews. What is remarkable to me is that, presumably, Psalm 88 – that most depressing of all psalms – was written to be sung during temple worship. This song that ends with no hope and no answer from Yahweh was sung to the Lord by his people, to his praise and glory, and for the edification of the saints.

(Image courtesy of ibelieve.com.)   “Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin which he made Israel to sin” (1 Kings 15:25–26). “And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place…. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent…” (Acts 17:26, 30).

(Image courtesy of Associated Press.) It is certainly election season, and we as Christians ought to pray. Not only should we pray for the salvation of lost souls in the land where we live, but I think it is our responsibility to vote. It is a liberty that God has given to us, so we ought to steward this duty well. If I were being honest (which I will be), I am a follower of the Constitution Party. The Constitution is one of the greatest, civic documents ever written, and the Founding Fathers did an excellent job in defining the role of government. The problem is the Constitution is rarely obeyed today.

(Image courtesy of RefToons.) When I was twelve years old, I went on a mission trip to Mexico with some of my family. When we were making our flight down there, my grandma got up to use the bathroom, but instead she accidentally opened the door to the cockpit. I remember seeing the pilots, with their headsets on, turn around in surprise. (I also remember seeing out of the windshield at the clouds ahead.) The flight attendants kindly and calmly shut the cockpit door and directed my grandma to the bathroom door, which was right around the corner. The year was 2000. Fast forward one more year to September 11, 2001, and everything changed for flight travel. Security checks took a lot longer, and if anyone would have opened the door to the cockpit in-flight, he might not make it to where he was going alive. History affects us.

(Image courtesy of learnreligions.com.)  “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:10-12). Paul wrote this to the church in Ephesus from prison. The humble apostle knew what it was to wage war against the powers of evil. He suffered while on earth, but was victorious through Christ in the end. Paul was a good man by all accounts. He didn’t mistreat anyone or hate anyone or bully anyone after his conversion. Actually, Paul loved people. So, why was he beaten, whipped, thrown in prison? It was because he told the truth. Paul told the truth of Christ to people who hated Christ. Thus, Paul’s problem was clearly a spiritual problem, as he so clearl...

  (Image courtesy of https://www.thingsofthesort.com.) Jesus answered,  “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world” (John 18:36). To the godless world around us, June is a month dedicated to “pride,” that most devious sin that led Lucifer to his rebellion (and coming judgment) and Adam and Eve to their banishment from God’s holy presence (and coming judgment). The church’s mission, however, remains steadfast, no matter what society or culture throw her way: the church is an alien organism living in an alien world.

(Image courtesy of davidjeremiah.blog).  “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons…” (1 Timothy 4:1). When I was a senior in high school, I went to an FCA football camp at Taylor University. My parents dropped me off; I didn’t know a single person, although the camp was filled with a couple hundred boys my age. The unique part of the experience is that I was one of maybe a handful of light-skinned folks. The rest of my fellow campers were from Chicago public school systems; someone had paid their way to attend. Many didn’t know the Lord, but it was a great opportunity for them – and for me.

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God" (Psalm 20:7, ESV).  Depending on the translation, this verse reads differently. In the Literal Standard Version, for instance, this verse reads, "Some of chariots, and some of horses, | And we of the Name of our God YHWH | Make mention."

(Image courtesy of gettyimages.co.uk.) We must be faithful to the gospel. It is still God’s only message of salvation. Preaching the reality of God’s coming judgment is an essential element of the gospel. While many preachers feel that preaching “fire and brimstone” is a turn-off, it is essential to the gospel itself. Why else do we need salvation through Christ if there is no coming judgment?

(Image courtesy of www.stock.adobe.com.) "Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming" (2 Peter 3:11-12). My six-year-old son asked some difficult questions the other night. We were sitting in the living room after supper reading the Bible together. After our reading, our discussion turned one way and then another. Eventually we were discussing good and evil. Reading the Bible and simply existing in this world reveal this battle plainly, even to kids. There is good and there is evil, and it's seen almost everywhere. My son, however, was puzzled by something: why did God destroy the evil people in the Old Testament Bible stories? Are we supposed to kill the evil people today? If David could kill his enemies with the sword, can we today? He was confused.

(Stock photo.) “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). We are always asking the question, “What is God’s will for my life?” Well, God tells us what his will is plainly in the Scriptures: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

(Image courtesy of https://www.appellawyer.com.) In the past couple of weeks, I have accidentally dented the bumper on the semi-trailer and backed into a farmer's milk house. I feel so bad for my accidents. It's a learning experience for me, certainly. Thankfully, farmers can be some of the most forgiving people.