You shall have no other gods before me.
Anything that is as important to you as God is at any given moment constitutes having another god before Him.
All of us have done that.
You shall not make for yourself any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
A graven image is any object that is worshipped as a god or in place of God or a god.
This is a difficult Commandment to interpret, because we don’t think in terms of statues, photographs, and the like as being worshipped. But be careful. Any time we use any object in a way as to place it above God the object becomes a graven image.
All of us have done that.
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
The key word here is “vain.” Vain means something that is useless or is self-centered. This does not mean we should not use the name of the Lord our God, as some have postulated. It means that our use of the name of the Lord should be deliberate and spiritually purposeful, not meaninglessly.
All of us have done that.
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Some interpret “Sabbath” to mean seventh. Others define it differently. The Jews observed a day called the Sabbath which we would consider Saturday. The Sabbath has never changed. If we were Jews, the Sabbath would still be on Saturday.
But we are not Jews, at least most of us aren’t. We are Gentiles who have been saved by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah. Most of us celebrate His resurrection every Sunday as did the early church, since it is the first day of the week.
Under the New Covenant, every day is to be considered holy and should be considered as belonging to God.
All of us have failed at that point in some way.
Honor your father and your mother.
It was Mark Twain who said that when a child turns thirteen he should be placed in a large box with a hole in it and be fed through the hole. He then said that when the child turned sixteen the hole should be plugged. Most teenagers directly dishonor their parents at some point. But this Commandment goes deeper than that. It includes those times when we dishonor our parents by failing to live up to the principles that they laid down for us.
All of us have done that.
Thou shalt not kill.
“Well, at last! Here’s a Commandment most of us have kept.”
Actually, if Jesus Sermon on the Mount is to be believed, we have committed murder in our hearts whenever we have wished something bad against our fellow human beings.
All of us have done that.
You shall not commit adultery.
Here is another heart oriented Commandment. Even if we have been physically faithful to our spouse, if we have ever looked at a woman with lust in our hearts we have committed adultery.
All of us have done that.
You shall not steal.
This is yet another heart issue, but also one that has been acted out in ways we might not have imagined. If we have ever taken anything, say a paper clip at the office, with the idea that we need it more than the other person does and it isn’t that important anyway, we have stolen.
All of us have done that.
You shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
This Commandment is about testifying about something that is untrue. It would include, but is not restricted to, gossip, lying and false accusations of one sort or another.
All of us have done that.
You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.
The sin here is not just wanting more than you have. It refers to desiring something that belongs to someone else. Notice that the Commandment specifies your neighbor’s house, your neighbor’s wife, your neighbor’s housekeeper, your neighbor’s ox (truck) or your neighbor’s ass (Lincoln). This is really about envy. We are not to be envious of what our neighbor has.
All of us have done that.
Conclusions
So if all of us have done all of those things, thus breaking the Ten Commandments, what hope is there for us?
The apostle, Paul, wrote: “What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful?” (Romans 7: 7). “If the law causes our desire for sin to increase, is the law bad? Paul says, “Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law.”
In other words, the purpose of the law (specifically the Ten Commandments) was to show us the perfect standard of God, that none of us could achieve that standard and that our hope was not obedience to the law, but in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.
The entire book of Romans, if read narratively (as it was written) instead of piece meal, is Paul’s explanation that we are saved by grace, not by observing the law, because Christ died for us. This does not give us permission to sin — rather; we should serve God by being slaves of righteousness. That righteousness is not of our own making, but is imparted to us by the shed blood of Christ.
That is the message of the entire New Covenant. That’s why it is called a NEW Covenant.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Making a Worthy Offering to God
In Malachi we are given a principle about what we offer to God. We are told that if we would not make that offering to someone in an important office, we should not offer it to the Lord.
Granted, Malachi is book that was written during the Old Covenant. But New Covenant books offer the same principle. Paul tells us that our offerings should be the best and that they should not be just a portion of what we have, but all of it. In other words we should give God the very best we have.
That is why giving that old piano that you can’t use any more to the church is an abomination. God should not get our old, worn out stuff. He should receive our very best at all times. That includes our worship.
Churches call staff members to help them with, among other things, worship. Those staff members are professionals. That is not some “uppity” attitude; it simply means they get paid to do the work God has called them to. Their work should be of the highest order, because we serve a God worthy of the highest order.
When a worship service is put together sloppily, it is an affront to God and a poor witness to the value put on serving Him. What are some of the issues in worship that professional leaders must deal with?
One of the issues is order. Scripture tells us that things are to be done decently and in order. There is orderliness in everything God has created, from the smallest atom to the universe itself. Order is often demonstrated in Scripture. There is order in the rebuilding of the Wall of Jerusalem. There is order in the building of the Temple. There is order in the assembly of the tents of Israel (see Numbers 2ff). Our worship services should be orderly.
Another issue in worship is unnecessary distraction. Annoying squeals and noise from the audio equipment are inexcusable, for instance. Sound board operators should be trained to know what causes feedback and how to avoid it. They should know that if a person steps to a microphone, he is probably going to say or sing something. He should turn on the microphone before he starts. The overhead operator should be trained to change from one slide of words to another before the last words of the present slide (otherwise, people will not know the first several words of the next line of the song). The person who controls the lights should know where lighting is needed and when and how to get them on or off. These steps help ensure a proper worship offering.
A common issue in worship is the use of planned testimonies. While there is a place for spontaneous testimonies, planned testimonies should be just that: planned. The person giving the testimony should not parade to the platform from the middle or back of the congregation after his testimony is announced. He should be given a specific amount of time and should be trained to get what he wants to say done in that length of time. Otherwise, his testimony becomes tedious and loses its impact. That’s not a very good offering.
Every person in the leadership team, musicians, speakers, audio/visual personnel, the one making the announcements and any others should know what is expected of them when. This can be done by using one or more set orders of worship, or by rehearsal before the worship service. Either way, expectations should be communicated before the service. The worship service should go off without a hitch. That is a valid offering to God.
To be a worthy offering, worship should be an event that helps the congregation be involved in a personal encounter with the God of the universe. It should be a comfortable experience for them, making it easy for them to participate in praise, singing, praying, and worshipping. New songs should be taught to the congregation before asking them to sing them in praise and worship. They should be used as offertories, specials and in other ways before asking the congregation to sing them. That way they will be able to participate in praise with the new song with confidence.
When a worship leader says something like, “I just heard this new song this week. It’s great and really magnifies God…,” and then expects the congregation to sing along, he is fooling himself. That will never happen. What a poor offering that becomes!
Too often when we think of offerings we think of money. But everything we do should be an offering to God in the very same sense that our money is. Making a worthy offering to God should be the goal of every aspect of our church life. After all, it is not about us; it is all about Him.
Granted, Malachi is book that was written during the Old Covenant. But New Covenant books offer the same principle. Paul tells us that our offerings should be the best and that they should not be just a portion of what we have, but all of it. In other words we should give God the very best we have.
That is why giving that old piano that you can’t use any more to the church is an abomination. God should not get our old, worn out stuff. He should receive our very best at all times. That includes our worship.
Churches call staff members to help them with, among other things, worship. Those staff members are professionals. That is not some “uppity” attitude; it simply means they get paid to do the work God has called them to. Their work should be of the highest order, because we serve a God worthy of the highest order.
When a worship service is put together sloppily, it is an affront to God and a poor witness to the value put on serving Him. What are some of the issues in worship that professional leaders must deal with?
One of the issues is order. Scripture tells us that things are to be done decently and in order. There is orderliness in everything God has created, from the smallest atom to the universe itself. Order is often demonstrated in Scripture. There is order in the rebuilding of the Wall of Jerusalem. There is order in the building of the Temple. There is order in the assembly of the tents of Israel (see Numbers 2ff). Our worship services should be orderly.
Another issue in worship is unnecessary distraction. Annoying squeals and noise from the audio equipment are inexcusable, for instance. Sound board operators should be trained to know what causes feedback and how to avoid it. They should know that if a person steps to a microphone, he is probably going to say or sing something. He should turn on the microphone before he starts. The overhead operator should be trained to change from one slide of words to another before the last words of the present slide (otherwise, people will not know the first several words of the next line of the song). The person who controls the lights should know where lighting is needed and when and how to get them on or off. These steps help ensure a proper worship offering.
A common issue in worship is the use of planned testimonies. While there is a place for spontaneous testimonies, planned testimonies should be just that: planned. The person giving the testimony should not parade to the platform from the middle or back of the congregation after his testimony is announced. He should be given a specific amount of time and should be trained to get what he wants to say done in that length of time. Otherwise, his testimony becomes tedious and loses its impact. That’s not a very good offering.
Every person in the leadership team, musicians, speakers, audio/visual personnel, the one making the announcements and any others should know what is expected of them when. This can be done by using one or more set orders of worship, or by rehearsal before the worship service. Either way, expectations should be communicated before the service. The worship service should go off without a hitch. That is a valid offering to God.
To be a worthy offering, worship should be an event that helps the congregation be involved in a personal encounter with the God of the universe. It should be a comfortable experience for them, making it easy for them to participate in praise, singing, praying, and worshipping. New songs should be taught to the congregation before asking them to sing them in praise and worship. They should be used as offertories, specials and in other ways before asking the congregation to sing them. That way they will be able to participate in praise with the new song with confidence.
When a worship leader says something like, “I just heard this new song this week. It’s great and really magnifies God…,” and then expects the congregation to sing along, he is fooling himself. That will never happen. What a poor offering that becomes!
Too often when we think of offerings we think of money. But everything we do should be an offering to God in the very same sense that our money is. Making a worthy offering to God should be the goal of every aspect of our church life. After all, it is not about us; it is all about Him.
Monday, November 25, 2013
The Church Administrator Bean Counter or Much More?
An administrator is one who is involved in: the act or
process of administering, especially the management of a large institution; the
group of people who manage or direct an institution, especially a school,
church or college; the term of office of an executive officer or body; the
dispensing, applying, or tendering of something, such as an oath, a sacrament,
medicine or a ministry.
Typically, a church administrator exhibits a desire to organize; helps bring order out of chaos; is task oriented; values efficiency and promptness and works well with ministry leaders as well as spreadsheets, budgets, organizational charts and software, files.
In
smaller churches, often pastors are forced into the position of church
administrator. This fits some pastors well, as they have the gift of
administration. Many pastors, regardless of the quality of their training,
simply do not have the gift of administration. In a small church this might be
moot, but as the church grows it can become very important.
Lack
of administrative skills on the part of a pastor can result in poor growth, a
lack of stability, financial difficulties, hostility among the members of the
congregation and the loss of membership and attendance.
Administration
is not something that can be surmised or absorbed by someone who is not
skilled, trained nor gifted in it. That is not derogatory; it is just the way
it is. An administrator can look at a church and determine immediately whether
it is being administered properly.
Sometimes
the gift of administration is assumed to be the ability to oversee financial
matters in the church. That is included, but is a small (but important) part of
what an administrator does. The
spiritual gift of administration is the ability to steer a church toward the
fulfillment of its goals by managing its affairs and implementing necessary
plans. A person may have the gift of leadership without the gift of
administration.
The Greek
word for the spiritual gift of administration is Kubernesis. It is
found in I Corinthians 12:28 and is alluded to in I Corinthians 14:40. This is
a unique term that refers to a shipmaster or captain. The literal meaning is
"to steer," or "to rule or govern." It carries the idea of
someone who guides and directs a group of people toward a goal or destination
in an orderly way. We see variations of this word in verses like Acts 27:11,
Romans 12:8c and Revelation 18:17.
In
the church, the gift of
administration is the God-given ability to give direction to others that result
in efficient operation and accomplishment of goals. Administration includes the
ability to organize people, things, information, finances, etc. Often the mark
of an administrator is the ability to accomplish things in a "fitting and
orderly way." The person in the Bible who personifies the profile of an
administrator best is Nehemiah. He was the organizer of the rebuilding of the
walls of Jerusalem. Typically, a church administrator exhibits a desire to organize; helps bring order out of chaos; is task oriented; values efficiency and promptness and works well with ministry leaders as well as spreadsheets, budgets, organizational charts and software, files.
There are certain attributes necessary for proper church
administration. A few pastors have these attributes, but not many. Here are the
main characteristics of a good church administrator.
A person with the gift of administration will have the
ability to see the overall picture. He can visualize a project or ministry from
beginning to end. He knows how it fits the church’s objective and what
resources are needed to facilitate the project.
Self-motivation is a characteristic of a good church
administrator. He has the ability to
“dig in” and develop or organize what he’s charge of. The natural motivation is
there – a creative desire to take what’s available and produce something that’s
never been before – like organizing an office, setting up a committee, or
developing a project. And in organizing they have the ability to break down
major goals into smaller, achievable tasks.
Administrators must have the ability to delegate. Once an
administrator sets his focus and begins to see the resources, he checks the
resource of people and begins to put these people to work. He sees what jobs
need to be done and finds out who can do them well. He knows what can or cannot
be delegated.
Because of keen respect for authority, the administrator
will never deliberately usurp authority. Therefore, in any situation where
authority exists, the administrator won’t try to move in to utilize his skills,
no matter how much they’re needed, unless someone in authority asks him to do
so.
Changes are often difficult for church members. Change for
change’s sake, therefore is not good. But change for the better is good, and a
good administrator knows the difference. He also knows how to effectively
implement the change with the least resistance. Often this characteristic
revolves around his ability to meaningfully communicate the need skillfully and
completely. In fact, effective communication is the hallmark of a good administrator.
Fulfillment, for the good church administrator, comes from
seeing others fulfill their ministries and by watching them enjoy the
satisfaction of a finished project or ministry. The administrator’s heart
doesn’t worry about getting credit for accomplishments. He sees success as a collective
achievement. He’s the one to say, “None of this could’ve happened if it hadn’t
been for the excellent work of my associates.”
Once a person with the gift of administration has
accomplished a goal, he’s ready to go after something else. The administrator’s
work is never done. There is always something more God has for the church.
A good pastor or church leader will recognize his own gifts.
If those gifts don’t include the gift of administration, a good pastor will
seek someone who can serve alongside him who can do the work of a church
administrator.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Christian Behaviorism
“I am not a legalist!”
That is the declaration of many mainstream pastors,
Christians and leaders, including many fundamentalists and evangelicals. They
think that following the Law, or following the laws they think are important, does
not make them legalists.
Well…yes, it does.
When Jeremiah announced that there would be a New Covenant
established, he went on to say that the Law would no longer be that which was
written in stone but would be written on our hearts. In Hebrews, Paul (and I
believe Paul wrote Hebrews as a commentary for the Jews on Romans) spent five
chapters explaining to the Jews how the Old Covenant had been superseded by the
New Covenant, who is Jesus.
Perhaps in the recesses of their minds those legalistic pastors,
Christians and leaders don’t recognize their legalism as what it is. Maybe they
have worked out which laws are to be followed and which ones are sort of no
longer applicable to today. Or more insidiously, maybe they have substituted
another world view for their thinking: Spiritual Behaviorism.
Spiritual Behaviorism is characterized by the use of Scripture
as a series of proverbs, thoughts for good living or rules for Christians. It
seeks to make Christians conform to a specific way of dealing with various life
situations based on a passage here and/or a passage there.
For the sake of example, consider the abortion issue.
Understand that there is no specific Scripture that expressly says, “Thou shalt
not remove a fetus from the womb before it is born.” Yet pastors will preach
long sermons about the evils of abortion. They will try to justify their
sermons with innocuous (as far as this topic is concerned) passages that relate
to God knowing us before we are born, etc.
Abortion is wrong. Those who have God’s love and law written
on their hearts know it is wrong. God gives life, and therefore life has
intrinsic worth and meaning. But anti-abortionism is not the message of the
Bible or of the New Covenant. The message of the Bible is of God’s character,
His love for His creation, and His plan for its redemption.
The Spiritual Behaviorist, nevertheless, continues using the
pulpit to tell Christians, who are supposed to be led by the Holy Spirit, what
they can and cannot do and still please God. The truth is there is no behavior
that will please God, except accepting His Son as Lord and Savior. That is what
the “without faith it is impossible to please God” principle in the Bible is
all about.
When you understand sin and what it really is, you recognize
that you will never be able to please God by one behavior or another, for God
demands absolute perfection to even come into His presence, let alone to please
Him with our deeds. That is because sin is any thought, attitude or action that
is not 100% in the absolute center of God’s will. Therein lays our problem to
begin with and the truth that required Jesus to become sin for us, covering our
sin with His blood shed at Calvary.
People who are not grounded in the actual message of the
Bible often question whether a certain action is a sin or not. In years past
the main questions were: Is it a sin to smoke? Is it a sin to dance? Is it a
sin to drink? Later the questions became: Is divorce a sin? Is homosexuality a
sin? Is abortion a sin?
The answer to each of those questions is that if that activity
is not dead center in God’s will it is a sin. People ask those kinds of
questions because God’s law and love have not been written in their hearts.
That is the substance of the doctrine of the total depravity of man. (Most
Christians believe in the almost total depravity of man, but not in all of it.)
Well, if the Bible was not written to show us which
activities are sinful in the sight of God and which ones are not, why was it
written? The answer is that it was written to reveal to us the character of
God, to demonstrate man’s propensity for sin and to show us God’s one and only
solution to sin in Christ.
In the end, Spiritual Behaviorism IS a form of legalism, and
is totally inappropriate as a reason for a sermon, lecture or training course. Our
message (our only message) is the gospel of Christ. He is our reason for being.
He must be the in all, of all and through all of everything we are and do. And
His love and law must be written on our hearts, or we are not His children,
regardless of our behavior.
Monday, November 18, 2013
Cessationism or Continualism?
So, are you a “Cessationist” or a “Continualist”? For those who might
not understand the terms, a “Continualist” is someone who believes that the
so-called sign gifts of the Spirit are as strong today as they ever were, while
a “Cessationist” believes those sign gifts are no longer with us because we
have something the early church did not have: the Bible.
In Matthew 27:5 we read: “Judas went out and hanged himself.” Then in Luke 10:37 we find: “Go and do likewise.” While in John 13:27: Jesus says: “What thou doest, do quickly.” All three of those are exact scripture quotes. Together they justify a doctrine of suicide. Of course, that is absurd! But it is EXACTLY what almost all Christian groups do to prove that their way is the right way and all others are at least mistaken, if not satanic.
The next step in formulating a correct doctrine is to understand that the Bible is not about you and it is not about me. It is all about Him. Everything you need to know about God is found in the Word of God. Nothing you need to know about God is NOT in the Word of God. Everything you THINK you know about God that’s not in the Word of God you just made up. It is all about Him and it is totally sufficient to reveal Him.
In general, Continualists include charismatic churches while Cessationists
are non-charismatic. This is not absolute, but it is close enough for
discussion.
Notable Continualists include such diverse preachers as
Dan Betzer (former radio preacher, now in Ft. Myers, Florida), Rodney Howard
Brown, and Dr. Adrian Warnock. Cessationists
would include Frank Turk, Phil Johnson, John MacArthur and others. There are
also some who are sort of in the middle. John Piper is one, as was Charles Spurgeon (according to some).
So what are we to do? How do we know which camp is the
most Biblical? In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul writes:
“My brothers and
sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels
among you. 12 What
I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow
Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas[b]”; still another, “I follow Christ.”
13 “Is Christ divided?
Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?
14 I thank God that I did not
baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized in my name.
16 (Yes, I also baptized the
household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone
else.) 17 For
Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and
eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”
Paul, at least, was
clear. We are to follow Christ and Christ alone. We are to preach the gospel
and nothing else. In this we are to be united. Does that mean that we do not
have to be concerned with other doctrines? Not at all. In fact, all of 1Timothy
deals with various false doctrines and how careful we must be to select leaders
who do not subscribe to them.
How, then, do we
decide which doctrines are important enough to fuss over and which ones are
not?
Any position can be
proven if we cherry-pick scripture. Selecting a verse or a few verses here or
there to “prove our point” is no way to form doctrines. All divisions of faiths
that call themselves “Christian” do that. Continualists
do that, as do Cessationist. Mainline Christians do it. So do Seventh Day
Adventists, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses and other aberrant denominations. It
is heretical to adopt one belief system over another based on selected
scriptures.In Matthew 27:5 we read: “Judas went out and hanged himself.” Then in Luke 10:37 we find: “Go and do likewise.” While in John 13:27: Jesus says: “What thou doest, do quickly.” All three of those are exact scripture quotes. Together they justify a doctrine of suicide. Of course, that is absurd! But it is EXACTLY what almost all Christian groups do to prove that their way is the right way and all others are at least mistaken, if not satanic.
Here is how to formulate a doctrine.
Realize the purpose of the Bible. It is not a “guide-book for living”
(although if you need a guidebook, there is none better). The Bible is not a
history book (although if you want to know the history of God’s creation it’s
the best one ever written). Neither is the Bible a psychology book (although
you will not find more accurate psychology anywhere). Most of all, the Bible is
not a book of religion. If you need a book on religion, you will have to look
elsewhere.
The Bible is God’s revelation of His character, His love for His creation and
His plan for its redemption. That redemption is provided through and only
through the shed blood of Christ at the cross of Calvary. Any use of the Bible
for any other purpose is both apostasy and heresy.
The unfortunate thing is, many pastors and theologians know this in the
recesses of their minds, but they are so conditioned to the cherry-pick
scripture approach that they end up trying to live by the Law and the Old
Covenant and Grace and the New Covenant all at once. That just cannot work and
always results in false doctrine.
Not too long ago there was a “debate” between Dr. Michael Brown and Dr. Sam
Waldron. Each was quoting scripture at breakneck speed. Each proved to his own
satisfaction his own stance on Cessationism vs. Continualism. It was all quite frantic
and more than a bit laughable.
Both sides of this controversy would claim that they
believe salvation is by Jesus plus nothing. Then they both proceed to add
something to Jesus because each believes He is almost enough in-and-of Himself,
but not quite. Both would deny that they are “legalists,” but each exhibit the
essential characteristics of legalism.The next step in formulating a correct doctrine is to understand that the Bible is not about you and it is not about me. It is all about Him. Everything you need to know about God is found in the Word of God. Nothing you need to know about God is NOT in the Word of God. Everything you THINK you know about God that’s not in the Word of God you just made up. It is all about Him and it is totally sufficient to reveal Him.
Next you need to know that the Bible is not a series of
proverbial sayings to be applied for the purpose of helping you think or behave
in a certain way. Under the New Covenant, God writes His Law and His Word on
our hearts. The scripture gives us a record of the ancestry of, birth of, crucifixion
of, resurrection of and the soon return of Christ. If you are reading it
correctly, it is revealing Him, from Genesis to Revelation.
Friends, the Bible is totally unconcerned with Cessationism
or Continualism…totally. If you think it has something to do with either
position you have been sucked into that thinking by somebody who taught you
wrong or by tradition and convention. That is true whether you were taught at
the premiere seminary in the universe or the best Bible school in the nation.
At the risk of doing
what I have just been railing against, may I remind you that Paul wrote: I
Corinthians 2:2 For I
resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him
crucified.” and I Corinthians 9:16 “Woe to me if I do not
preach the gospel.” These quotes are consistent with the purpose of
scripture to begin with.
The gospel is our
message. We have no other message. If you are trying to fit some other message
into your preaching, or if you are attempting to preach some social message or
some behavioral message, you are engaging in heresy. If you think this message
is boring or irrelevant, you are lost and need to get saved before you preach
another word.
Not until we get this
message to every living person on earth will we be in a position to widen our
message. Since that will never happen, we are well advised to stick to the gospel,
God’s revelation of His character, His love of His creation and His plan for
its redemption through Christ Jesus, to whom all focus and glory belongs forever.
That message you will find in every verse of the Bible.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Saturday, November 16, 2013
An Overview of Hosea
The Theme of Hosea: Gomer was faithless; Israel was faithless; God is always faithful.
Many people think the Minor Prophets are called that because their books are short. Hosea is longer than the book of Daniel. Minor prophets are not minor. They are even quoted by the “major” prophets. They were nationalistic and focused on the Israelites’ breaking of the Law. But their main message was the inability of Israel to keep the Law. Hosea is the prophet in the Northern Kingdom who compares to Jeremiah in the Southern Kingdom. Both warned of Israel’s captivity and both lived to see it come to pass.
Chapter 1 – God tells Hosea to take a harlot for a wife. This is contrary to the Law of Moses. This is indicative that the purpose of the Law is to reveal sin, not to provide a way out of sin. Imagine if this happened in your life. Your son says, “God told me to marry a harlot.”
Chapter 2 – Gomer proves faithless; Israel proves faithless; God proves faithful. This is about God’s love for the nation Israel. Ultimately He will restore her, and she will give up the worship of Baal. Hosea understands the attitude and action of God because of his own love for Gomer.
Chapter 3 – Hosea is commanded to take Gomer again
Chapters 4 & 5 – Israel plays the harlot. She is constantly turning from God to idolatry.
Chapter 6 – Prophesy that Israel will return to God in the last days. We’re getting closer.
Chapter 7 – Israel turns to Egypt and Assyria. They think the grass is greener on that fence side.
Chapter 8 – Israel turns to golden calves and altars of sin. This is repeated behavior by Israel.
Chapter 9 & 10 – Israel turns to a land of productivity but is told she will be driven from the land
Chapters 11 & 12 – Israel turns from God again but God will not give her up.
Chapter 13 – Israel will be judged in the present. Our sins find us out and have consequences.
Chapter 14 – Israel will be saved in the future. God is not finished with Israel. They are His chosen people, not because they were good, but because God gets to choose.
What do we learn from Hosea?
The Character of God: God is always faithful, even when we are unfaithful.
God’s love for His creation: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)!
His Plan for its redemption: No one is too dirty, too hopeless, too far-gone for Jesus to save them.
Jesus is a faithful husband, who gave Himself for His bride the church (us) and is purifying that bride (us) for Himself (Ephesians 5:25-27).
We are called to live out this good news, forgiving others, redeeming the hopeless, loving the unlovable, and speaking the message of Jesus and His love.
Our salvation comes from trusting in, and only in, the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary and believing that God has raised Him from the dead.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
I TIMOTHY UN-REWRITTEN
The books of the Bible have been divided into chapters and verses to make it easy to find certain passages. Unfortunately, it also makes it easy to mix and match verses to fit one's personal theosophy. It also destroys the narrative.
What follows is the book of I Timothy as it would have been written by Paul. For the sake of clarity, I have taken a few literary liberties, but the actual flow and meaning of the letter has been preserved. Since it is the entire book, it is long. It is well worth the read and might forever change the way we read and understand Scripture.
Paul Theapostle
777 Apostle Road
Macedonia
Timothy Brotherinchristos
First Baptist Church
Ephesus
Dear Tim,
You will no doubt remember that when I went to Macedonia I asked you to stay in Ephesus to stop certain church members there from teaching false doctrines, to tell them to cease engaging in stupid myths about Jesus and to tell them to stop bragging about their ancestors. They are not helping God’s work, but are causing all kinds of controversy. God’s work is by faith and faith alone. This letter is to help you identify the false teachers and to help you choose leaders who are sound in Christian doctrine.
I am writing this to you out of a heart of love for you and God’s people. I have a heart purified by Christ, I write without guilt about these matters and I have a sincere faith. Some of the people you are serving are just babbling on. They want to be teachers of the law, not realizing that the law has been fulfilled in Jesus. Although they speak as though they are brilliant scholars, they are not.
Let me be clear. The law is good, if properly applied. It should be used to point out our need for Christ. That is what I wrote to the church in Rome. The law itself has no power. If you are a law abiding citizen, the law does not affect you. Law breakers have no respect for the law, nor do they exhibit strength of character or any vestige of morality. These are the people who come under the law.
Some have tried to justify their rebelliousness, their sin, their murderous attitudes, their homosexuality, their immorality, trading slaves, their lying and for other actions contrary to the gospel by insisting on their freedom in Christ. As I told the Roman church, God’s grace is not license to keep on sinning. Instead, you should teach them to recognize God for who He is and to give glory and honor to Him forever.
To face these false teachers will take strength and courage. Remember how I trained you. I knew you would be able to fight this battle through your faith and good conscience in the face of those like Hymenaeus and Alexander, who have virtually deserted the faith in favor of these satanic teachings.
Timothy, you are going to have to be steeped in prayer for the entire church at Ephesus. You will need to pray for the boldness to confront these false teachers through petition, intercession, and gratitude for the privilege of serving them, whether they are kings, mayors, police or whatever their position. This is the way God wants it done, peacefully and with godliness and holiness. You are more likely to win them to Christ this way.
Although these people are teaching falsely about Him, there is only one God and there is only one way to get to Him: through Christ Jesus, who gave His life to ransom them from their sin. He is the one who gave me the right to speak to you about these matters, truthfully. He has given me the spiritual authority to teach Gentiles, and I am encouraging you to do so, too.
All of us who are saved should pray to God and praise God without engaging in disputes or getting angry as we address these issues. The women should set the minds of the false teachers at ease by dressing modestly, thus not encouraging them to take sexual advantage of them. They should do nothing to think they might be immorally available to them. Too much jewelry, fancy hairdos, or expensive clothes might convey the wrong impression.
These false teachers are very into the culture and are used to abusing women. They think that even though they call themselves Christians they can go on degrading them. Therefore, it would be helpful for women to stay in the background. These false teachers have little respect for women, reasoning that Adam was formed first and thus were allowed to hold power over women. They should act appropriately for women who profess to worship God. Their faith will save them and their love, holiness and propriety will sustain them, even through childbearing.
Like I said, these false teachers want to be leaders. But beware! They must not be put in positions of authority or they will cause all kinds of trouble. When a person comes to you wanting to be a leader, check him out thoroughly, his lifestyle, his family life, his temperament, and his doctrine. Don’t allow alcoholics, wife-abusers, argumentative money-grubbers to become leaders. If he cannot lead his worldly family well, how can he expect to lead members of his spiritual family? The man who wants to lead should well-grounded in the faith and must not lean on his own understanding or reasoning. He should have a good reputation with those outside the church, so he can demonstrate to them a life based on sound doctrine.
This same standard applies to those who want to be servants in the church. Servants in the church should be worthy of respect, sincere and must hold to the faith with sound doctrine. They should be honest and shouldn't be alcoholics either. Watch the way they operate before placing them in positions of servant hood. If they have learned the sound doctrines of the faith, they qualify to be servants.
Just as women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything, so must a servant be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.
Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how the people you choose to teach ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was reached among the nations, was believed on in the world, and was taken up in glory.
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. In their false teaching, they forbid people to marry, even though marriage pictures Christ’s relationship to the church. They also order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. This will remind you of the time God showed Peter that all things were good to eat. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished, not by food, but by the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train to be godly. Think about it, Tim. Physical training has of some temporal value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.
Be sure you teach these sound doctrines. Although you are young, you are well grounded in the faith since you have learned from me. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Set an example to your church members so they will not seek to have the false teachers in control. Guard your speech, conduct, love, faith and purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching sound doctrine. You are a gifted leader. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders demonstrated their approval of you when they laid their hands on you.
When it comes to these matters of false teachers, be diligent to avoid putting them in positions of leadership. Strengthen yourself by giving yourself wholly to all I have taught you, so that everyone my see your progress. Watch your own life and doctrine so you don’t fall for the tripe they teach. Persevere in them and you will be strengthened in your salvation and will be able to communicate the gospel accurately to your hearers.
Tim, some of these false teachers are old and set in their ways. They may think they have thought these doctrinal matters through, but their starting point is wrong. They need to be corrected, but they might think you a bit young to be teaching them anything. Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father.
Younger men simply have not had the time to learn correct doctrine. But don’t be too hard on them for their lack of knowledge. Treat younger men as brothers; likewise treat older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.
Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame. Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Keep track of the widows in your church. Develop a list of those who are in need of ministry. For clarity, no widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.
As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. They tend to be spiritually unstable and often their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, and they want to marry. Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge, which is to Christ. Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to. So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. (Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan).
If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really need the church’s help.
Those mature men who help pastor the church with preaching and teaching are well worthy of high regard and respect. For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”
Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. But those elders who are sinning by teaching false doctrines you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning. I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.
Take your time in selecting leadership. Don’t get caught up in the sins of others and don’t be fooled by them. Keep yourself pure.
Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.
The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them, and you might not find out about them until later. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.
All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. 2 Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare[a] of their slaves.
Timothy, this business of false teachers is really important. If it seems like I am leaning hard on it, it is because false teaching can ruin the church. You are to insist on leaders who have sound doctrine. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
True godliness with contentment is great gain. The truth is, we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Timothy, man of God, flee from all this false doctrine, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of true faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep these instructions without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.
May God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense be with you all.
In Christian Love, Paul
What follows is the book of I Timothy as it would have been written by Paul. For the sake of clarity, I have taken a few literary liberties, but the actual flow and meaning of the letter has been preserved. Since it is the entire book, it is long. It is well worth the read and might forever change the way we read and understand Scripture.
Paul Theapostle
777 Apostle Road
Macedonia
Timothy Brotherinchristos
First Baptist Church
Ephesus
Dear Tim,
You will no doubt remember that when I went to Macedonia I asked you to stay in Ephesus to stop certain church members there from teaching false doctrines, to tell them to cease engaging in stupid myths about Jesus and to tell them to stop bragging about their ancestors. They are not helping God’s work, but are causing all kinds of controversy. God’s work is by faith and faith alone. This letter is to help you identify the false teachers and to help you choose leaders who are sound in Christian doctrine.
I am writing this to you out of a heart of love for you and God’s people. I have a heart purified by Christ, I write without guilt about these matters and I have a sincere faith. Some of the people you are serving are just babbling on. They want to be teachers of the law, not realizing that the law has been fulfilled in Jesus. Although they speak as though they are brilliant scholars, they are not.
Let me be clear. The law is good, if properly applied. It should be used to point out our need for Christ. That is what I wrote to the church in Rome. The law itself has no power. If you are a law abiding citizen, the law does not affect you. Law breakers have no respect for the law, nor do they exhibit strength of character or any vestige of morality. These are the people who come under the law.
Some have tried to justify their rebelliousness, their sin, their murderous attitudes, their homosexuality, their immorality, trading slaves, their lying and for other actions contrary to the gospel by insisting on their freedom in Christ. As I told the Roman church, God’s grace is not license to keep on sinning. Instead, you should teach them to recognize God for who He is and to give glory and honor to Him forever.
To face these false teachers will take strength and courage. Remember how I trained you. I knew you would be able to fight this battle through your faith and good conscience in the face of those like Hymenaeus and Alexander, who have virtually deserted the faith in favor of these satanic teachings.
Timothy, you are going to have to be steeped in prayer for the entire church at Ephesus. You will need to pray for the boldness to confront these false teachers through petition, intercession, and gratitude for the privilege of serving them, whether they are kings, mayors, police or whatever their position. This is the way God wants it done, peacefully and with godliness and holiness. You are more likely to win them to Christ this way.
Although these people are teaching falsely about Him, there is only one God and there is only one way to get to Him: through Christ Jesus, who gave His life to ransom them from their sin. He is the one who gave me the right to speak to you about these matters, truthfully. He has given me the spiritual authority to teach Gentiles, and I am encouraging you to do so, too.
All of us who are saved should pray to God and praise God without engaging in disputes or getting angry as we address these issues. The women should set the minds of the false teachers at ease by dressing modestly, thus not encouraging them to take sexual advantage of them. They should do nothing to think they might be immorally available to them. Too much jewelry, fancy hairdos, or expensive clothes might convey the wrong impression.
These false teachers are very into the culture and are used to abusing women. They think that even though they call themselves Christians they can go on degrading them. Therefore, it would be helpful for women to stay in the background. These false teachers have little respect for women, reasoning that Adam was formed first and thus were allowed to hold power over women. They should act appropriately for women who profess to worship God. Their faith will save them and their love, holiness and propriety will sustain them, even through childbearing.
Like I said, these false teachers want to be leaders. But beware! They must not be put in positions of authority or they will cause all kinds of trouble. When a person comes to you wanting to be a leader, check him out thoroughly, his lifestyle, his family life, his temperament, and his doctrine. Don’t allow alcoholics, wife-abusers, argumentative money-grubbers to become leaders. If he cannot lead his worldly family well, how can he expect to lead members of his spiritual family? The man who wants to lead should well-grounded in the faith and must not lean on his own understanding or reasoning. He should have a good reputation with those outside the church, so he can demonstrate to them a life based on sound doctrine.
This same standard applies to those who want to be servants in the church. Servants in the church should be worthy of respect, sincere and must hold to the faith with sound doctrine. They should be honest and shouldn't be alcoholics either. Watch the way they operate before placing them in positions of servant hood. If they have learned the sound doctrines of the faith, they qualify to be servants.
Just as women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything, so must a servant be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.
Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how the people you choose to teach ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was reached among the nations, was believed on in the world, and was taken up in glory.
The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. In their false teaching, they forbid people to marry, even though marriage pictures Christ’s relationship to the church. They also order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. This will remind you of the time God showed Peter that all things were good to eat. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished, not by food, but by the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train to be godly. Think about it, Tim. Physical training has of some temporal value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.
Be sure you teach these sound doctrines. Although you are young, you are well grounded in the faith since you have learned from me. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Set an example to your church members so they will not seek to have the false teachers in control. Guard your speech, conduct, love, faith and purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching sound doctrine. You are a gifted leader. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders demonstrated their approval of you when they laid their hands on you.
When it comes to these matters of false teachers, be diligent to avoid putting them in positions of leadership. Strengthen yourself by giving yourself wholly to all I have taught you, so that everyone my see your progress. Watch your own life and doctrine so you don’t fall for the tripe they teach. Persevere in them and you will be strengthened in your salvation and will be able to communicate the gospel accurately to your hearers.
Tim, some of these false teachers are old and set in their ways. They may think they have thought these doctrinal matters through, but their starting point is wrong. They need to be corrected, but they might think you a bit young to be teaching them anything. Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father.
Younger men simply have not had the time to learn correct doctrine. But don’t be too hard on them for their lack of knowledge. Treat younger men as brothers; likewise treat older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.
Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God. The widow who is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. Give the people these instructions, so that no one may be open to blame. Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
Keep track of the widows in your church. Develop a list of those who are in need of ministry. For clarity, no widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.
As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. They tend to be spiritually unstable and often their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, and they want to marry. Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge, which is to Christ. Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to. So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. (Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan).
If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really need the church’s help.
Those mature men who help pastor the church with preaching and teaching are well worthy of high regard and respect. For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”
Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. But those elders who are sinning by teaching false doctrines you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning. I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.
Take your time in selecting leadership. Don’t get caught up in the sins of others and don’t be fooled by them. Keep yourself pure.
Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.
The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them, and you might not find out about them until later. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.
All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. 2 Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare[a] of their slaves.
Timothy, this business of false teachers is really important. If it seems like I am leaning hard on it, it is because false teaching can ruin the church. You are to insist on leaders who have sound doctrine. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
True godliness with contentment is great gain. The truth is, we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Timothy, man of God, flee from all this false doctrine, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of true faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep these instructions without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.
May God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense be with you all.
In Christian Love, Paul
Monday, November 11, 2013
The Presence of God
“You should have been at church yesterday! God was really
present!”
Really? Isn’t God really present every Sunday, as well as
Monday through Saturday?
One of the characteristics of God is that He is omnipresent.
That means everywhere at once. Now He is either omnipresent or He isn’t. He
cannot be everywhere at once one minute and not the next. Neither can He be
present everywhere and only certain places all at once.
So, what makes some worship services seem as though “God is
really present?” Could it be that it is not a function of God, but of the mood
of the worshipers? Of course it could, and it is.
When worshippers arrive at church, the Holy Spirit is always
already present. The question is not whether God is there. The question is about
whether our hearts prepared to allow Him to work in our lives.
Sometimes we mistake excitement for worship. Certain music
is designed more to create energy and to wake people up than it is to prepare
people for worship. That is true whether the music is classical, standard or
contemporary in nature.
One of the issues is that we have come to consider praise
the same thing as worship, and it is not. Praise is an exultation of God. It is
celebratory in nature. Worship is reverent honor and homage paid to God and
being awed in His presence. We need both, but they are not the same thing. Worship
services often emphasize praise over worship to their detriment.
Praise is a key element of a Sunday service because we are
supposed to be celebrating the resurrection of Christ. In fact, we worship on Sunday for that very
reason, a joyous proclamation of a risen Lord.
We are also gathered to worship a holy, majestic and awe
provoking God. Too many Sunday services either omit this element or substitute
prayer for worship. While we can both praise and worship in prayer, prayer is
not, in and of itself, either praise or worship.
The inclusion of all of the elements: worship, singing, praise,
prayer, Scripture, submission, and the presentation of the gospel will go a
long way toward assisting worshipers realize the presence of God.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Monday, November 04, 2013
Why Isn't Jesus Enough?
Jesus isn’t enough because He isn’t really God in the minds of some Christians. He isn’t enough because they do not realize the price He paid for our salvation. They do not realize the depth of the horror He went through to achieve our salvation, therefore, salvation is not enough.
Take the horror of all of those killed in World War II, the holocaust, Pearl Harbor and the Twin Towers, add it all up and you will not even begin to touch the horror of what Jesus did to provide your salvation.
He became sin for us. That’s not just some trite little theological or theosophical idea. It is His act of having accepted the penalty of every sin committed in the past, present or future for every human being who has ever lived on this earth.
Many people have died for things they believed in. Some have died for religious beliefs. Others have died for philosophical beliefs. Some have died for political freedom. Jesus did not die for something He believed in. He died for a purpose greater than all of the purposes ever purposed. His death was far more than thorns, nails and spears.
When Jesus cried from the cross, “My God! My God! Why hast Thou forsaken me!” He was experiencing the eternal suffering for our sins. There He experienced total darkness in His soul and the absence of His Father. He experienced the flames and fire of Hell on our behalf.
And for some, that is not enough. They think they need (or deserve) something more.
Sunday, November 03, 2013
Saturday, November 02, 2013
A Study in I Samuel Chapter 17:1-58
I Samuel Chapter 17:1-58
Chapter 17
This chapter contains the familiar episode of David slaying Goliath with a slingshot.
Verses 1-39 – Egypt vs Israel today is similar to the Philistines vs Israel. Israel has always been the center of the world’s prejudice and wrath. The world does not like to admit that Israel was chosen by God.
Goliath was 9’9”. He was weighed down with armor. He chose to fight the world’s way. David was alarmed that no one would face Goliath. David didn’t want the armor of Saul. He wanted to use what God had provided…to do things God’s way.
Verses 40-58 – Why did David take 5 smooth stones to slay Goliath? Did he expect to miss? No, Goliath had four sons, and David expected them to come out also. Later we find out that David did slay them (2 Samuel 21:22). We also know that David did not expect to miss (Judges 20:16).
Goliath, the giant, represented the world and a pagan world-view. The world hates the Christian faith, and ridicules our faith like the Philistines ridiculed David.
Remember Samson? He treated the Philistines as a friend. He even married one of them. David treated them as enemies. We are told that we are in the world, but we are not to be of the world.
Saul represents Satan. He wanted to use the world’s way to help David overcome the giant. But the world cannot solve problems, it can only create them. Every time the world makes some great discovery or invents something it cause as many problems as it solves.
The world invented cars. Cars kill more people than diseases do. The world invented antibiotics. Infectious bacteria have adjusted to the antibiotics by becoming resistant to them. The world invented the airplane. Airplanes can bring on airsickness, jet lag and death, both in wars and in commercial flight.
David is a picture of the one who believes in Christ. He understood that God did not do things man’s way. Remember Joshua and the instructions he was given about crumbling the walls of Jericho? What man would have done things that way? Well, here we have David going up against Goliath with a slingshot and a stone. What man would have done things that way?
How often have you heard a man say something like, “Sure, we believe in God. But God gave us a brain and He expects us to use it.” Well, that is not true. When we use our own thought processes we always mess something up. There is a way that SEEMS right to a man, but the end thereof is death.
Once again we ask, “What man would have provided salvation like God did it?” The answer is no man. Salvation come from trust in, and only in, the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary.
Chapter 17
This chapter contains the familiar episode of David slaying Goliath with a slingshot.
Verses 1-39 – Egypt vs Israel today is similar to the Philistines vs Israel. Israel has always been the center of the world’s prejudice and wrath. The world does not like to admit that Israel was chosen by God.
Goliath was 9’9”. He was weighed down with armor. He chose to fight the world’s way. David was alarmed that no one would face Goliath. David didn’t want the armor of Saul. He wanted to use what God had provided…to do things God’s way.
Verses 40-58 – Why did David take 5 smooth stones to slay Goliath? Did he expect to miss? No, Goliath had four sons, and David expected them to come out also. Later we find out that David did slay them (2 Samuel 21:22). We also know that David did not expect to miss (Judges 20:16).
Goliath, the giant, represented the world and a pagan world-view. The world hates the Christian faith, and ridicules our faith like the Philistines ridiculed David.
Remember Samson? He treated the Philistines as a friend. He even married one of them. David treated them as enemies. We are told that we are in the world, but we are not to be of the world.
Saul represents Satan. He wanted to use the world’s way to help David overcome the giant. But the world cannot solve problems, it can only create them. Every time the world makes some great discovery or invents something it cause as many problems as it solves.
The world invented cars. Cars kill more people than diseases do. The world invented antibiotics. Infectious bacteria have adjusted to the antibiotics by becoming resistant to them. The world invented the airplane. Airplanes can bring on airsickness, jet lag and death, both in wars and in commercial flight.
David is a picture of the one who believes in Christ. He understood that God did not do things man’s way. Remember Joshua and the instructions he was given about crumbling the walls of Jericho? What man would have done things that way? Well, here we have David going up against Goliath with a slingshot and a stone. What man would have done things that way?
How often have you heard a man say something like, “Sure, we believe in God. But God gave us a brain and He expects us to use it.” Well, that is not true. When we use our own thought processes we always mess something up. There is a way that SEEMS right to a man, but the end thereof is death.
Once again we ask, “What man would have provided salvation like God did it?” The answer is no man. Salvation come from trust in, and only in, the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary.
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