Misunderstood passages in the Bible, a little study never hurts

"Where there is no vision, the people perish..."  Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)

For a long time, I jumped on this verse...sounds AWESOME doesn't it and it is.  I heard it preached and used in bible studies and it was presented with something like a building program or a future plan for a church and it just works.  Where there is no vision, the people perish.  It's a great verse to inspire people to a cause...and I'm sure there's an element of that interpretation that is true, but after looking at it and studying the Bible around it, I'm not sure that's what the verse is talking about here.  If we take the verse simply as that, there are some weird shoots that can spring off the plant and give us some trouble down the road.

Funny, but a lot of people who would quote this verse might balk if someone said "I just had a vision".   "Vision" has become a term for an ability to see where things must go, such as what an project, organization or movement could be when it hasn't even started yet and then making it happen.  Is that what the Bible is saying here?  If you can see where things are supposed to go, then you have a vision and if you don't, those involved will perish?  

It makes sense...I've seen lots of aimless people with no plan just wander around and waste their lives away, so there's some wisdom in that area...but you have to come back to this.  Is that what the WORD is saying there?  If you are going to quote something, even if the principle you pull seems wise, the passage you quote needs to say what you are attributing to it...good or bad.  I think of it like "showing your work" in math.  I was GREAT at coming up with the right answer early on in Math...hated showing my work, but sometimes, my "processes" only worked for the problem I was on and if I had not been made to show HOW I was coming up with something, so the teacher could correct my logic, then I would have not solved many other problems.  The point is, life is not about just getting the right answer all the time and neither is studying the Bible.  What is the WORD saying here?

If I say, "Look out!  It's a dog!", that means LOTS of things from "hey, take a picture" to "run for the hills", depends on the context.  Let's look at the context of the verse...a lot of the time, you sharpen the point of a verse when you understand the rest of the "conversation".  I usually choose things before and after.  Here is the same passage in the NIV...

¹⁵  The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

 ¹⁶  When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: but the righteous shall see their fall.

 ¹⁷  Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.

 ¹⁸  Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

 ¹⁹  A servant will not be corrected by words: for though he understand he will not answer.

So we've got "correction" for a child, how the "wicked" thrive in going against God and breaking His law (sin)...how "discipline" is good for your son to give him peace...and then we have "no vision" and "people perish", but the end of the verse doesn't really talk about a plan does it?  It says "he that keepeth the law, happy is he."  Then it's about correcting again...

Let's look at another translation of the Bible...NLT...here is what it says...

¹⁸ Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; 

   but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.

Or the NIV...

¹⁸ Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; 

   but blessed is he who keeps the law.

That sounds a little different, none are contradictory, but together explanatory.  "Revelation" doesn't carry the same weight as "vision" does in our contemporary society, but it still fits, right?  "Cast off restraint"...that's a very different connotation to "perish"...same thing and both fit together, because of the word choice, so what is the deeper meaning here?

Before we go on, you might ask:  Why another translation?  That's because as you translate something, a lot of the time, there's not a "one word" in the other language that carries the EXACT same meaning.  Sometimes a concept in one language is communicated in another language by a series of words...so let's take a look at another one...one of my favorites.  When you look up a Hebrew word or a Greek word (the languages the Bible was written in), you find several words (like our dictionary) to give the full nuance of what is trying to be communicated.  Because of grammar or context or because it's a recognized colloquial phrase or some construction/textual clue, you choose the meaning.  The Amplified Bible (AMP) is a bible that tries to throw all those words in...sometimes, it can be confusing, but most of the time, it helps focus us in on "what the writer is trying to say"...let's read this verse here.

¹⁸Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]--blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he.

Without the revelation of God to people of who He is, His law that shows the need for mercy and grace and Jesus, people will cast off all restraint...and ultimately, that way will lead to death and they will perish....that's what the writer is trying to say.  It's the validity of following God, not the microcosm of having a grand plan for something.

Now hear me out here...STUDY the bible
1)  Yes, purpose is good for people and an unfocused people DO not fare well in life...but we have a purpose and that purpose is folded into the fact that we are looking emulate and honor Christ in everything we do (1 Peter 2:21-24), we are to make disciples as we go through our lives (never off mission - Matthew 28:19-20)...that's our purpose.  We should not need to supplement that with a building program.  Remember the micro is the brush with which God paints the macro picture.
2)  It's not bad to have a plan.  God gives plans and "visions" all the time...all I'm saying is to use this as the proof-text for any plan you state is wrong, because that's not what it says.  We see life prove out God's plan all the time....God is a planner, he planned all my days before I was born (Psalm 139) and God has had a plan for the world since before He ever created a thing (John 1, 1 Corinthians 2:7 - all over the Word)...good grief, plans are fine.

What I am saying is that when you handle the Word, handle it with care... strive to understand it, when you read it, read it again and again, then in another translation that is GOOD (some aren't), read about the historical context in which the passage was set and above all, do this...read the Bible as a WORK...one Work...it doesn't contradict itself, it expands upon itself, it helps explain itself...sola Scriptura is a Latin term that means "the whole of Scripture" and that is where you see the conversation with God grow...don't miss it.  Show your work...read the context...talk to other believers you trust and most of all, listen to God as you read...have a conversation.

I hope this little Bible Study helped.  Please pray for us as we continue to try to be a church in Palm Bay that shows Jesus to all around us.

The "last" weekend of an era

This weekend, we'll take another step in the changing of an era...we'll say "goodbye" to FBC's Senior Pastor Dr. Larry Bazer and his lovely wife, Gayle, in their role as "first couple" (so to speak, you know what I man) of FBC Melbourne.

For 25 years (he became the pastor here the year I graduated from high school and honestly before a lot of folks who'll read this were even born), Larry has been the leader of FBC Melbourne. He has baptized, counseled, married, buried, effected, launched into vocational ministry, taught, visited and cared for a boatload of people in his time here.

God has blessed and multiplied Larry & Gayle's influence to reach over county lines, church lines, state lines, country lines, denominational lines, philosophical lines and governmental lines in this area. Many of the churches in the area have been either started or guided or directly effected by his desire to teach, mentor and make disciples...which is shown by his reassignment to continue doing that fulltime in the US and the rest of the world by devoting himself fully to training/mentoring pastors from Melbourne to Ecuador to Panama to Romania and beyond.

We should be especially thankful for Larry's determination in following what God has set before him in Palm Bay. After many short-lived works in church planting, the Bay West Campus began in 2009, under his direct influence and work and we will hit 2 years next month....two months of being a church in Palm Bay, Florida. That's two years of continuous steady growth, leaving us poised to continue the growth of God's kingdom in a historically tough place to grow.

I think that as we celebrate the God who Larry follows with a different spin this weekend, we shouldn't ever forget that MANY churches have been started in Palm Bay (many in conjunction with FBC Melbourne during Larry's tenure), that have not made it as long as Bay West has. A lot of these churches struggled, but all of them were collectively part of God's work to get us to where we are now...just as Bay West is another link in the chain of God's work in Palm Bay, along with 63 or so more churches in Palm Bay currently trying to reaching 103,000 people approx.

Bay West is truly blessed and a lot of that has come from Larry's faithfulness in the midst of what the world would mistakenly call "failure". The truth is that we are as ill-qualified to pronounce the judgment of "failure" on something as we are ill-qualified to definitively say that all scientific discovery is over or that we have measured the Universe to the inch. God works and plans far beyond the scope of our analysis....so what does that mean for us personally?

Here is what it means. Do what you know honors God with every decision...no matter how small or how great, then let God judge the failure or success. Live this consistency in belief and in 25 years, maybe you'll look back at your journey and be pleasantly surprised at the trail that God has left in the wake of one God-honoring decision at a time...just like we are doing at the end of this era with Larry & Gayle, as they move on to a new thing in God's journey for them. Thanks, guys.

Response to the "Urgent Prayer Need" yesterday

Yesterday, I posted an email sent to one of our LifeGroup members, sent from a missionary couple that they support in Papa New Guinea, asking you to pray for a dire need in their lives.  Here was the response and the result of that situation.  I hope you'll be encouraged.

My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. Dan 6:22 

This is exactly what the Lord did again today! He protected us and saved us from the lions! Literally, the accusations made against us were like a lion’s roar but the roar was worse than bite. We are very safe and all is good, know it’s better! 

This morning after a not so good night sleep I looked outside and saw men walking around our houses to protect us. I couldn’t see all the angels that were fighting for us J Then the plane came in with the leaders and left to go get the police men. We all met together and prayed and reminded each other to respond as Christ would respond. 

The police arrived at the same time as the delegation. So we gave to floor to the religious leaders and they accused us of all kinds of falsehood and that they said we had to leave and gave us a 2 month deadline to get out. The police men then gave us (around 120 people) the floor and they listened to testimony after testimony of how God has changed their lives and that Jesus is the only way to God. I literally cried as a listened to them give God all the glory. The police man had to stop people as hand after hand went up wanting to give testimony! It was AMAZING! 

After these men heard the testimonies one man proposed that we can stay until we finish the translation and all of a sudden the lions turned into kittens. They literally changed their demand and said, “We never said they had to leave.” Can you believe it – listen to the purr! The testimony of God’s working in the lives of these people silenced them! 1 Cor 4:20 says that the kingdom of God is living by God’s power and God’s Kingdom is here! 

So they even apologized to us and we shook hands and left. Our houses are still standing and we are safe, but more importantly our faith is stronger! This served to unify the church here in an awesome way. 

We are exhausted but exhilarated. Our mission leaders said they’ve never seen a heavy like that get settled so peacefully. They too give all the credit to God. 

To God be the Glory! 

Thank you again for fighting with us. We love you all so much. 

Gary for all us Smith’s and the Dinangat Church.

Please continue to pray for Bay West Church as we continue to try to be a church in Palm Bay that shows Christ to all around us.

URGENT Prayer Request for today (Monday, August 8th)

Gary Holland, one of the members of our Osterholm LifeGroup at Bay West, sent this email in asking for prayer for some missionaries that they help support in Papa New Guinea.

"We just got an email from the missionaries that we support in Papua New Guinea.  I will try to make it short but it is urgent.  The denominational leaders of their area are coming in to question them and challenge them in the areas of church practice.  They are treatening to remove them from here if they do not comply with their demands.  That was the email from yesterday.  Now we just got one saying that they were in another village yesterday and their tempers boiled over.  One of the believers from there (Gary's village) was with them and came back with the report that they are going to burn their houses down and force them to leave.

When this villager was telling this there were about 100 listening and said that they would stand around them and not let anyone touch them.  One old man shouted that he now knows the truth and you can not get rid of these missionaries, they are God's work men!

They contacted there leadership and they are flying in with the police early this morning.  This should all take place around 6pm EST.  They are rejoicing with the verse from Acts 5:
Thanks so much,

Gary and Beverly Holland"

As a part of our Radical Experiment commitment for this year, we've been praying for the World and here is a personal request that is tied directly to people at Bay West that we need to pray for today.

Continue to pray for us as we continue to try to be a church in Palm Bay, attempting to honor Jesus at Bay West Church.