Authentic vs Pretentious Living Requires Listening & Responding

Today’s reading: Psalm 81 NASB
SCRIPTURE  Authentic vs Pretentious
“....He will established it for a testimony in Joseph when he went throughout the land of Egypt.  I heard a language that i did not know; “I relieved his shoulder of the burden, his hands were freed from the basket.  You called in trouble and I rescued you....I, the Lord, am your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide and I will fill it.” -Psalm 81:5-6,10 NASB

“.... but my people did not listen to My voice, and Israel did not obey Me. So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, to walk in their own devices. Oh that My people would listen to Me.  That they would walk in My ways!.... Those who hate the Lord would pretend obedience to Him and their time of punishment would be forever.  But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.....” -Psalm 81:11-13 // 15-16 NASB

OBSERVATION
Psalm 81 is consider to be one of the twelve Psalms of Asaph.The Psalms of Asaph (לְאָסָף) were composed in the northern territories of Israel during Biblical times. They underwent some redaction after 722 BC, but appear to have been intact by the post-exilic period. The origin and identity of the person of Asaph is ambiguous, and it is difficult to know whether or not there was an identifiable progenitor for this family name. The Asaphite priests had a pre-exilic role to provide musically-based or induced prophecy, and a post-exilic role singing praise to God.
As I read this Psalm 81 verses 5-6,10-13, & 15-16 stood out in the midst of a key principle of Listening: Comprehension vs. Hearing appeared.
Let’s go, Psalm 81:5-6,
Here, I found the Psalmist referencing how God established Joseph’s testimony (life’s story).  Joseph went from a brother to an out cast - from a slave to ruler.  As I attempt to engage the text, I find myself attempting picture Joseph’s circumstances.  Emotionally broken (sold into slavery by his own brothers), physically weary (traveled hundreds of miles by foot with little nourishment or care), and mentally challenged (struggled to learn the Egyptian language).  How many times did Joseph call out to God?  How long did Joseph pray before God answered? ....before Joseph’s burdens were lifted? ...before his hands were freed? 
To often I picture God’s relief coming immediately.  To often I visual God swooping down like SUPERMAN “to save the day” within the moment.  The truth - God provides relief within His timeframe and not mine.  Why? I don’t know.  No matter the timeline - the end result speaks loudly as God did bring Joseph up from the land of Egypt - and God will save me.
Let’s go, Psalm 81:11-13 // 15-16,
Between verses 10 and 11, I came across an interesting grammatical transition.  What?  From a focus on Joseph moving to a focus on the nation of Israel as a whole.  This is noted in the following grammatical phrases, “My people,” “My voice,” “Israel,” and “Me.”  Wow!  The Psalmist is paralleling Joseph’s life and the National of Israel within a ‘real-time’ comparison.
Within Psalm 81:11-13 and 15-16 a few key phrase stand out,
“My people (Israel) did not listen to My voice....” -vs 11
“Israel (my people) did not obey Me.” - vs 11
Then what happened?

“So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, to walk in their own devices.” - 12

Wow, this sounds a bit like a few sections of my life’s story!  Respectable guidance from my dad, a close mentor, an old friend, and what do I do... not listen!  What are the results of not listening?  Discovering things through consequences / the hard way.

Let’s continue in Psalm 81,
“Oh that My people would listen to Me.  That they would walk in My ways!” -vs 13.  As I read these words my heart broke and my mind honed in as I related to God’s heart ache as a father.... as I once again got a glimpse of what I took my father through....

The Psalmist concludes by saying, “Those who hate the Lord would pretend obedience to Him and their time of punishment would be forever.  But I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.....” -vs 15-16.  “....pretend obedience....” According to Wikipedia “A pretender is one who claims entitlement to an unavailable position of honour or rank. The original meaning of the English word pretend, from the French word prétendre (from the Latin prae-tendo lit. "to stretch out before" means "to put forward, to profess or claim"; this predates today's more common English meaning of "pretend", which is to claim falsely.”

....I’ve “pretended obedience” to God. Why?  I choice self gratification over God’s guidance.
When did I realize I was “pretending obedience” to God?  I knew it from the moment I mentally made the decision. When I choose to sin - I choose to enter a state of “pretending obedience.”

During that season, God allowed me to see things (in my life) which made me sick to my stomach!

APPLICATION
The importance of daily interactions with God via reading the Bible.
Reading (check). 
Listening & responding (Importance of slowing down and writing out my thoughts / interaction with the text via observations / applications).
As I allow God’s word (the Bible) to read me it keeps me Authentic vs Pretentious.

PRAYER
Jesus, once again, I’m amazing at the simplicity and priceless work You accomplished on the Cross.  Thank you, for speaking directly to the culture / time when you walked the earth - thank you for empowering me (us) with the incredible gift of “freewill.” Help me daily aline my heart, my mind, and my life to You - Jesus.  Help me make time for that which is most important - TIME W/ YOU.  Continue to refine and guidance my heart & mind - thank you for being a God that daily gives me great life lessons. ThankYOU. - Trevor

Helpful links in overcoming “pretentious living”: www.xxxchurch.com, www.x3pure.com, www.x3watch.com, www.relevantmagazine.com, http://developer.enewhope.org/api/bible.php

A Lesson From Apocalyptic Literature: .... .... ....

Today’s reading: Revelation 3:19-22 NASB

SCRIPTURE

¹⁰ Since you have kept my command to endure patiently....” -Revelation 3:10 NIV

“¹⁹ Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. ²⁰ Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. ²¹ To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²² Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” -Revelation 3:19-22 NIV

OBSERVATION

The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament. The title came into usage from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: apokalupsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation" (an interesting historical side point: the author himself did not provided the title). It is also known as the Book of the Revelation of Saint John the Divine or the Apocalypse of John, (both in reference to its author) or the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ (in reference to its opening line) or simply Revelation, (often dubbed "Revelations" in contrast to the singular in the original Koine) or the Apocalypse. The word "apocalypse" is also used for other works of a similar nature, and the genre is known as apocalyptic literature. Such literature is "marked by distinctive literary features, particularly prediction of future events and accounts of visionary experiences or journeys to heaven, often involving vivid symbolism." The Book of Revelation is the only apocalyptic document in the New Testament canon, though there are short apocalyptic passages in various places in the Gospels and the Epistles.  Revelation brings together the worlds of heaven, earth, and hell in a final confrontation between the forces of good and evil. Its characters and images are both real and symbolic, spiritual and material. Revelation's cryptic nature makes the book a source of controversy among scholars who try to interpret its meaning and its message. Nevertheless, it has not only endured, but captured the imagination of generations of Bible students, both professional and lay readers alike. The author, named John, has traditionally been identified with John the Apostle, to whom the Gospel of John is also attributed. Historical-critical scholars, however, generally conclude that the author did not also write the Gospel of John. Most scholars think that Revelation was written near the end of the 1st century.

Almost every time, I read this finial book of the New Testament: Revelation.  I pause and pray.... ....  Why? The material, symbolism, and confrontation between good and evil are enchanting!  The text of Revelation enthralls, engrosses, and almost hypnotizes my mind with questions and fascination - that’s why I pause and pray.  I need God to guide and direct me.  I need Him to keep me from going down a miscellaneous rabbit trail - this is where Revelation 3:10 & 19-22 stood out.  Scripture interprets Scripture: A.K.A. What within Revelation symbolism verifies God’s Word?   

¹⁰ Since you have kept my command to endure patiently....” -Revelation 3:10 NIV

“¹⁹ Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. ²⁰ Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. ²¹ To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²² Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” -Revelation 3:19-22 NIV

APPLICATION

1. “.... you have kept my command to endure patiently....” -Revelation 3:10 NIV

• To holdfast to God’s commands with “post cross” ramifications:

1. “You (Trevor) shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” - Matthew 22:37 NASB
2. “You shall shall your neighbor as your yourself.” - Matthew 22:39 NASB
3. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28: 19-20

1. “endure patiently....” - Revelation 3:10 NIV

1.  ³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. ⁵ For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. ⁶ If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. ⁷ And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. ⁸ We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters,^[a^] about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. ⁹ Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰ He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, ¹¹ as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many. ¹² Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity^[b^] and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace. ¹³ For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, ¹⁴ as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.” - 1 Corinthians 1:3-14 NIV

1. “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.” -Revelation 3:19

• Scripture interprets Scripture: A.K.A. What within Revelation symbolism verifies God’s Word? 

1.  “⁴ In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. ⁵ And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
      and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
   ⁶ because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
      and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” ⁷ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? ⁸ If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. ⁹ Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! ¹⁰ They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. ¹¹ No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” - Hebrews 12:4-11

PRAYER 

Jesus, thank you for taking the time to speak to my heart & engage my mind.  I find myself grateful that you meet me where I’m at.  I’m amazing at the simplicity and priceless work You accomplished on the Cross.  Thank you for speak directly to my heart.  It seems that as I slow down to read Your read - it reads me.  Help me daily make time for that which is most important - TIME W/ YOU.  Continue to refine and guidance my heart & mind - thank you for being a God that daily gives me great life lessons. ThankYOU. - Trevor

“¹ Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we^[a^] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we^[b^] boast in the hope of the glory of God. ³ Not only so, but we^[c^] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

 ⁶ You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! ¹⁰ For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! ¹¹ Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” -Romans 5:1-11