Do You Pray for Your Pastor?

If you do (and you should), what do you pray for? Do you pray that he will be your personal chaplain or do you see him as your shepherd? A chaplain is duty bound to serve the rotating needs of a specific class of people.

Shepherding runs in the opposite direction from a chaplain. It takes all the unique needs of various people at various stages of life and leads them to one ultimate solution… Jesus Christ.

This post begins a series of posts about how to pray for your pastor.

The absolute most important prayer for your pastor is that his sermons are redundant.

What? Pray that his sermons are redundant? Why?

Still stinging from his fiasco at Athens, where he tried to match philosophical wits with the Athenian philosophers, Paul wrote that he “…resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (I Corinthians 2:2)

He had made the mistake of preaching something other than the gospel. But the gospel is absolutely the ONLY message we have. If you get tired of that message, you need to check your relationship to God through Christ.

So, pray that you pastor will be able to proclaim one overarching message from every text he preaches. Whatever principle or wisdom is put forward, pray that every message you hear from this pulpit is the wrapped around the same redundant theme: the glory of the grace of God in Jesus Christ.

Pray that his sermons hold high the sacred jewel of redemption so that you may marvel at it. With every turn and refraction of light there is a new glory revealed but it always the same jewel.

Pray he is a record scratched exactly at the sacrifice of Christ. Pray that he never gets over, gets past, gets to the bottom of or never gets tired of the glorious news of the accomplishment of God in Christ.

Pray that he hears you singing the refrain, “Tell me the story of Jesus. Write on my heart every word. Tell me the story most precious; sweetest that ever was heard.”

Pray your preacher aids you in the constant re-discovery of the absolute, unending spectrum of glorious truth that is within the Word of God and its singular message spanning from Genesis to Revelation.

This is not a story about what man does for God. This is not a message about how man gets to God. This is not a story about how man sought God. This is a story about how God got to man, how God satisfied His own requirements on man’s behalf and for his own glory.

Pray this message never ceases to amaze this man who is your pastor.

(Thanks and a hat tip to Church Pastor for the inspiration for and much of the content of this post).

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-Glorious-Brenton Brown

A Study in Proverbs Chapters 10-29

Proverbs is all about growth

The book of Proverbs is not about various topics. The book of Proverbs USES various topics to demonstrate the characteristics of GROWTH IN THE LORD. It is the story of that growth in a person from infancy to maturity. A so-called “topical” study of Proverbs will always miss the point of what Solomon is saying.

Here is the way the story of the young man’s growth (and ours, as Christians) progresses:

I. Chapters 1-9 of Proverbs illustrates the growth in Wisdom (Christ) and contrasts it with a growth built on folly (the ways of the world – the world system).

Newborn humans and new Christians (babes in Christ) begin by learning about the world around them. Those new in the Lord learn about the basic tenants of the faith. They move beyond the circle of the home. They begin acquiring knowledge, by the fear of the Lord. (Wisdom comes later – in chapter 9).

The young man learns about God and His character, hopefully by hearing what his parents teach him. He makes friends and enters the big, bad world. He is counseled to remember what his parents taught him. He learns that there are no secrets from the Lord. He learns about relationships and the value of hard work. Morality will be a part of his learning,

The growing young man (and the growing Christian) prepares himself to the next stage of his life. He begins to understand that not only does the fear of the Lord lead to knowledge, it leads to Wisdom (Christ).  Some growing up (in Christ) learn wisely, others foolishly.

II. In chapters 10 – 24, we see the growth of the young man as he learns about the order of things.
(As Christians grow, they, too, become aware of the sound doctrines of the faith). He learns more and more about the Lord. Business, commitments, what’s more important than beauty, how to choose a wife, when to speak and when to keep quiet and how to face obstacles are all part of his training.

He learns that God is always present, that he needs to learn to think correctly and how not to rationalize his conduct. He learns integrity in thought and how to think straightly.  He learns about friendship and the importance of choosing friends wisely. He learns to be a friend. He learns that there are eternal consequences to his choices.

As our young man grows up, he learns how to overcome life’s obstacles and how to exercise his faith. He learns about attitudes and motives for both right and wrong.  Selflessness is among the lessons he must learn. He must also learn self-control.


III. In chapters 25-29, the young man learns to study God’s precepts and examples. He learns the importance of proper study. He learns that he will be in trouble if he answers a fool. The fool is in trouble if he doesn't answer the wiser young man. The fool will think he is smart.

The young man will learn, as he grows, that the wicked live in fear, regardless of what he might claim. At the very least, he fears death. The young man does not fear death, he fears God, the source of wisdom. He will discover the importance of not just asking God for things, but of listening to God. He will know that someday God’s Word will be written on his heart.

What a tragic mistake it is to study Proverbs as a bunch of chopped up wise sayings about this or that. How much more insight into Solomon’s wisdom and the wisdom of God is gained by seeing the book as a presentation of the progression of growth.

Take note that almost all of Proverbs’ subjects are repeated at least four times. Each time each subject is brought up, Proverbs presents it in more detail and understanding. This is how we are to grow. As we mature, we should learn more and more about Wisdom. We should learn more and more about controlling our tongues and why. We should learn more and more about the importance of diligence, integrity and life.

Wisdom will ultimately lead us to Christ and His saving grace. All else is folly.

Bible Study and Preaching

What passes for Bible study and “Bible based sermons” today is dismal. It is little more than pick-and-choose magnified to imitate Bible truth.

Bible study has been reduced to chopping the Bible up into little pieces to serve a particular topic of interest to the Bible study leader or the ones responsible for his “teaching manual.” This is the method used by every heretical cult that has ever been and is fraught with danger.

A case in point is the way the book of Proverbs is used to address certain topics, for instance, “Watching your words.”

Being careful about what you say is important. Words can hurt. Words can heal. Words can be neutral. But using some “proverbs” about words from one section of Proverbs and some from another completely misses the point of the book. Proverbs, in the Bible, is about growth. As we grow in Wisdom (Christ), we will understand how to use words better. That’s why the subject of how we use words is progressive in the book of Proverbs. Each time it is brought up, a little more of the subject is revealed and a proper response expanded.

Each section of Proverbs deals with the same group of topics, each time a little more in depth and a little more detailed. The topics are: Wisdom, the fear of the Lord, the company we keep, the value of money and things, and the results of choosing wrongly. Wisdom is a type of Christ in Proverbs and the point is that as we know Christ better we will exhibit more and more of His characteristics.

Sermons have been reduced to modified legalism. Most evangelical pastors would deny that they are legalistic, but then go right on preaching about lists of things that are right and things that are wrong. That IS legalism. And it is NOT what the Bible is about, no matter how many passages or verses are quoted.

The Bible is about the gospel of Christ. That’s its message from cover to cover. The gospel is the Good News that Christ has paid the penalty for sin and that if we repent and turn to Him in faith, trusting in, and only in, the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary, we will spend eternity with Him in Heaven.

Whether we are preaching from Exodus, Leviticus, Malachi the Gospels, or wherever, the message is the same: God is of the highest character; He loves His creation and has a wonderful plan for its redemption.

The Bible is not about how we behave (although if you need a behavioral guide, it is the best there is). It is not a history book (although if you need to know the history of Israel or of God’s movement in history, it is the best history there is). The Bible is not a psychology book (although it contains the best psychology that ever has been, is now or ever will be). Nor is the Bible a philosophy book (although it contains the only relevant philosophy in the universe).

The Bible is God’s revelation of His character, His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption.

Every Bible study leader should look for those three things. If he cannot find them in what he is preparing to teach, he should go back and study some more or he will be teaching the wrong thing.

Every preacher should look for those three things. If he cannot find them in what he is preparing to preach, he should go back and study some more or he will be preaching heresy.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-The Prayer-Donnie McClurkin and Yolanda Adams

A Study in Proverbs

Proverbs Chapters 17

There is a temptation in “Bible Study” to use a series of Scriptures from here and there in the Bible to “examine” a particular topic. The danger with this type of “study” is that it easily  missuses, misapplies and/or misinterprets verses of Scripture. Every cult, false religion and heresy starts with this method.

A recent study, for instance, use several passages from Proverbs to prove the importance of guarding one’s speech. Guarding one’s speech may very well be very important, but it is not what Proverbs is talking about in chapter 17. As we will see, the reference to speech is really a part of a dissertation about the person who is to be the Messiah.

Verses 1-6 – Like an algebraic equation, putting the right value for “x” (the unknown) will reveal the correct solution to the problem. In verse 1, think of the peace that comes from the “Bread of Life,’ who is Jesus, as opposed to the noise and clutter of the world. Verse 3 emphasizes that God looks on the heart. Verse 4 is about one’s character. In verse 5 we see that there is evidence when one loves God’s creation. Verse 5 is reminiscent of the way children of the New Covenant would be led to share with those in need. As revealed in verse 6, we are a family. Some of us are elders in the faith, others are less mature. We should be supportive of one another.

Verses 7-8 – All atheists are fools, for the fool has said in his heart that there is no God. He should recognize his folly, but he won’t. Fools in places of service, especially in the Body of Christ, are worse than infidels. Even in churches, leaders are sometimes bribable. You might “get ahead” with a bribe (offering something to God’s children that God will not really give them), but your success will be shallow.

Verses 9-14 – God has set the example of forgiveness in Christ. We are all siners and we have no right to sit in eternal judgement over others. Verse 10 refers to our young man who has much to learn. He should open his mind to learning God’s ways. Heretics are wolves (or bears) in sheeps’ clothing. Sound doctrine is essential for a growing Christian. Lead them not to be argumentative, but to be transformed by the renewing of their minds.

Verses 15-20 – One day we will be judged for what we did with God’s Son (either accepting Him or rejecting Him). God is a good judge. He hates those who are judgmental. Those who don’t want Christ are fools. Jesus is a friend who is closer than a brother. The unsaved have a debt they owe to God. We cannot pay that debt for them, and we have no business trying. They need to turn to Christ for payment of their debt.  When the Holy Spirit prods his heart, a man is foolish to argue with Him. In the end, he will die eternally.

Verses 21-25 – Sometimes even God’s children behave as though they are fools. God is not happy about that kind of behavior. In Christ we find joy and can rejoice in Him always. Judges are judges because they get to judge. Worldly judges, even if they are Christians, will always misjudge God’s character. A wise man seeks the right way: Christ. A fool pays Him no mind.

Verses 26-28 – We do not get to punish sinners, whether they are honest or not. If we are wise (know Christ), we are careful about what we say because His love, mercy, grace and word is written on our hearts. Sometimes our incessant, incoherent babble make people think we Christians are nuts. We are wise to be subtle, not overly aggressive about our Christian faith.

ADDENDUM: When I last taught this lesson, some years ago, I was asked, “Joe, do you REALLY see Jesus in all of these proverbs? I thought they were just sayings and instructions.” I answered, “Yes, I really DO see Jesus in all of these proverbs. Each of them is true, in its own right, but each also represents the characteristics of those who have Jesus in their hearts. The truth of Proverbs is verified in the life of a Christian. See, God has established a New Covenant; one which fulfills the Old Covenant and supersedes it.”

What about Teaching the Bible?

In the first place, let me be clear that I don’t care what you call it. You can call it Sunday School, Bible Study, Bible Study Groups, Small Groups, Family Groups, Life Groups or anything else you want to call it as long as its purpose is to find the actual meaning of God’s Word.

The text book for Bible study is…wait for it…the Bible. It is not some denominational publication, some bestselling book or some opinion session about God. The text book is the plenary, inspired, literal, infallible Word of God, the Bible. Use it and you will NEVER run out of relevant material and its message is 100% as current as it was in the eternity God first thought of it.

In order to properly teach the Bible, Bible study leaders must be steeped in it themselves. They must know the perfect context of every word of it, in terms of the words used, the verse in which they are used, the chapter they’re found in, the book of the Bible they’re in, the testament they’re in and the Bible as a whole.

They must realize that the Bible is God’s revelation of His character, His love of His creation and His plan for its redemption. They must not deviate from this revelation.

If you teach the Bible book by book, chapter by chapter or from beginning to end, you will not miss any topic ever conceived in the mind of man. That is why exegetical teaching is superior to topical teaching.

Topical teaching carries with it the danger of becoming a philosophy study backed up by random verses that may or may not genuinely apply to the topic. Thousands of cults, sects, and heresies are formed just this way, and you are not smart enough to resist allowing Satan to lead you in the same direction.

The Bible does not exist to support your spiritual philosophy, your mind set or your ideology. It exists to reveal to you the mind of God and to conform you to it. It exists to reveal to you His plan of salvation. Its theme is the gospel. It has no other. Its objective is to bring people to God through Christ.

A Bible study leader/teacher would do well to understand those truths before beginning any Bible study session.

While college and seminary education has some value, any priest can properly interpret the Bible if he sets his mind to discovering its truths in their context. By the way, if you are a Christian you ARE a priest, and thus can rightly divide the Word of God if you use the proper approach.

Every Bible study teacher should have and make use of a good concordance, such as Strong's or Young's. He should also have a good Bible dictionary, Internet access (although you have to be careful on the Internet. There's a lot of very bad misinformation out there) and maybe a Greek/English, English/Greek lexicon (again, be careful. These can easily be misused and misunderstood). A really well put together lesson plan book can be helpful if it is not used as a substitute for the real text (the Bible).

Bible study can be as shallow or as deep as you want it to be. It can be geared to preschoolers, grammar school students, teens, young adults, middle adults and any age groups in between. And it should be. Every Bible study lesson should be targeted to the group studying it. More mature Christians require a different approach from those younger in the Lord, as well as in age.

The Bible should NEVER be MADE relevant. It IS relevant. It deals with the deepest needs of the darkest corners of every heart. It is the vehicle by which you can be introduced to the presence of God! It is the revelation of the greatest gift any person has ever received, the gift of salvation through Christ.

All Bible study should lead to that end. It should have as its point that whosoever will may come to God blameless if they place their trust in, and only in, the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary.

It Is Hard to Argue with God

Not too long ago a pastor stood before his congregation and proclaimed, “God told me….” He then proceeded to explain to the congregation what they were going to do. Trusting him, they went along with what he said God said to do. The result was catastrophic for the church.

When a pastor (or any Christian, for that matter) claims a revelation, vision or word from God, it is hard to argue with him because he thinks he has received divine direction. The Bible tells us we can “test the spirits,” but how do we do that?

The answer, of course, is that we test them against the revealed Word of God, the Bible. If a “word from God” does not conform to Scripture, it is a word from Satan, not God. The trouble with that comes when interpretations of Scripture are so divergent.

Let’s consider some things.

First, a true word from God is always verbal, the very words of God. It’s never an impulse or an impression; it’s never a feeling that needs interpretation. Rather, a word from God must be a precise message.

Second, a true word from God is testable as either true or false. If someone invokes the Holy Spirit as the source of his word from God, but what he says is false, God commands His people to reject both the “word from God” and the prophet (or preacher).

Third, a true word from God is infallible. Whatever God spoke through His pastor must error-free and utterly unaffected by human fallibility.

Fourth, because a true word from God is verbal, propositional, and inerrant, the only conclusion to draw is that it carries the full weight of divine authority. Since the end of the apostolic age and the completion of the canon, only Scripture can legitimately claim that level of authority.

Finally, a true word from God would result in Him being glorified, His church being edified and His gospel being propogated.

So is it remotely possible that the action recommended by that pastor and followed by the congregation that led to disaster was truly a word from God?

No. That is not possible.

The sad thing is many churches follow their leader wherever he takes them. They lack the Biblical knowledge to know whether he is leading the astray. They have never been trained in sound doctrine and true Bible study has been ignored so long that they do not know the difference.

As a consequence of that “followship,” some churches have been driven from a pattern of growth to a pattern of limp sheepishness.

God’s Word lays out all of the basic principles we need to know about the orderliness of God and how His business is to be conducted. It is too bad that so many churches don’t even know what those principles are, vilify the “organization” required to enact them and are too lazy to do so anyway.

After all, God is just supreme, sovereign, all powerful, everywhere at once and all knowing. No reason to be so serious about so-called “words from God.”

EIGHT COVENANTS OF THE BIBLE-Under Which Covenant Are You? Part 3

THE NEW COVENANT

The most important thing to know about the NEW COVENANT is that it is not a legal document, it is a PERSON and His name is Jesus.

The second most important thing to know about the NEW COVENANT is that it supersedes and fulfills all aspects of all of the previous covenants.

While there were, indeed, Unconditional Covenants that will never pass away, they are all fulfilled in Christ. He is their completion. Through Him Israel will get their land, the Law of Moses will be satisfied, the promise to Abraham will be fulfilled and the sin of Adam will be atoned for.

In the New Covenant, there is not one iota of the Old Covenant(s) left to deal with. The New Covenant is a NEW DEAL that is instituted by God. It is the completion of God’s character, His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption. There is nothing you can add to it and there is nothing you can take from it.

The New Covenant was predicted in Jeremiah 31:31ff, and referenced many times by the writers of the Old Testament. It was provided directly for Israel and extended to Gentiles.

Galatians is all about those who corrupt the New Covenant by trying to add to it things like circumcision, tithing, rules and regulation. Galatians builds on the principles laid out in Romans. It sets the stage for the book written to the Jews to show them how their hope of a Messiah had been realized in Jesus…the book of Hebrews; specifically chapters 4-10.

Through the New Covenant, sin is more than atoned for, it is forgiven. The forgiveness is not through the shedding of the blood of animals, but of the Son of God. The New Covenant does everything the Mosaic Covenant could not do. The Mosaic Covenant could do no more than cover (atone) for sin. The New Covenant takes sin away.

The New Covenant is not written in stone, on tablets or on paper, it is written in the hearts of believers. It is made manifest by indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It provides a new temple; a temple of believers. Our bodies are now God’s temple.

The New Covenant contains the Law of Moses and fulfills it perfectly.  Nothing, absolutely nothing, needs to be added to it to make it better. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can be taken from it to make it less inclusive.

When Jesus said, “This cup is the New Covenant of my blood,” He was not speaking insignificantly. His shed blood was the very purpose for His coming.

The Bride of Christ, His church, personifies the New Covenant. The church has not replaced Israel, it is a partaker with Israel.

There are those who insist that the Law of Moses, or at least some aspects of it,  must be kept by Christians in order to please God. They are referred to as “Judaizers.” They are people who call themselves Christians, but find it necessary to apply some of the attributes of Old Covenant Judaism to their Christian walk. They call themselves “Bible believers,” but mean by that that they follow the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. That is untenable under the New Covenant.

Far too many “Christians” try to live with one foot in the Old Covenant and one foot in the New Covenant. That is patently impossible. Not one single part of the Old Covenant is relevant to Christians. They have a NEW DEAL in Christ. In Him ALL things have become new, not just select things.

The New Covenant is the basis of the “Dispensation of Grace.” It is an Unconditional Covenant, eternally in effect, between God and anybody who puts his trust in, and only in, the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary.

CHRISTIANS!  LET GO OF THE OLD COVENANT! ENJOY THE BLESSINGS, FREEDOM AND REWARDS OF THE NEW COVENANT! LET THE HOLY SPIRIT WRITE GOD’S WILL IN YOUR HEARTS AND DON’T BE BOUND BY ANY ASPECT OF THE OLD COVENANT! YOUR SALVATION IS COMPLETE IN CHRIST!

EIGHT COVENANTS OF THE BIBLE-Under Which Covenant Are You? Part 2

This is the second of a three part series on the covenants of the Bible. People who call themselves Bible believing Christians need to know these things about the covenants in order to realize what they have in Christ.

The Mosaic Covenant contains very extensive detailed information and the Scriptural account of the covenant extends from Exodus 20:1 through Deuteronomy 28:68. The parties of this covenant were God and Israel. The covenant was not made with the Gentiles or the Church, but with Israel only, a point made in Deuteronomy 4:7-8; Psalm 147:10-20 and Malachi 4:4.

The main provision of the Mosaic Covenant was the Law of Moses; 613 commandments of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. 365 of these were things that were forbidden, 248 were things that should be done.

This is a Conditional Covenant. If featured if-then items. If Israel did so-and-so, God would do sucn-and-such.

The key element of the entire Mosaic Law centered around the sacrifice of blood. It is exemplified in Leviticus 17:11, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to your upon the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life.”

This is a VERY important issue, for Israel was to supply the blood from animals, but some day, God would supply the blood once and for all in His Son, Jesus.

The Mosaic Covenant required five different offerings. You can see them in Leviticus chapters 1-7. There were also diet restrictions, death penalties, signs (such as circumcision) and tokens (such as the Sabbath).

The Law of Moses was not a means of salvation. Salvation always has been, is now and always will be by grace through faith in Christ. The purpose of the Law of Moses is to reveal God’s holiness, to keep Israel a distinct people, to provide a rule of life for Jews, to serve as a wall of partition between Israel and Gentile nations, to reveal and show what sin is and to drive one to faith.

The Mosaic Covenant, being conditional, is no longer in effect. It was fulfilled and came to an end with the death of Messiah. The Law, in its totality no longe has authority over any individual, as noted in Romans 7:5; 10:4 and Galatians 3:19.

In Matthew 5:17-18, we read: “Think not that I have come to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law; till all things be accomplished.” Most who use this passage do not accept their own thesis, since they must believe in doing away in some form of many of the commandments of the Law of Moses, but reserve some, arbitrarily, to remain in effect.

The Land Covenant (often referred to as the Palestinian Covenant) is found in Deuteronomy 29:1 through Deuteronomy 30:20. This covenant is often considered part of the Mosaic Covenant, but the Deuteronomy 29:1 passage clearly indicates that it is distinct. It is between God and Israel. It reaffirms the title deed to the Land (now referred to as Palestine) belongs to Israel.  It is still very much in effect.

The Davidic Covenant, was made between God and David. It is important to note that the promise from God was that the THRONE of David would be established forever (not Solomon or his progeny).  This is most important to understand: the Messiah was to come from the Seed of David (I Chronicles 17:11 and many others).  Messiah’s throne, house and kingdom would be forever. In I Chronicles 17:12-15 we see that it is the Messiah who will be established on David’s throne, not the throne itself.

The importance of the Davidic Covenant is that it gives significance to the Seed aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant. Messiah was to come from the Seed of Abraham.

The Davidic Covenant is an Unconditional Covenant. It is God’s plan for the salvation of the creation He loves.

NEXT WE WILL SEE HOW THESE SEVEN COVENANTS ARE FULFILLED IN AND SUPERSEDED BY THE PERSON OF THE NEW COVENANT, SOMETHING SO RADICAL THAT ONLY GOD COULD HAVE THOUGHT OF IT.

EIGHT COVENANTS OF THE BIBLE-Under Which Covenant Are You? Part 1

This begins a three part series on the covenants of the Bible. People who call themselves Bible believing Christians need to know these things about the covenants in order to realize what they have in Christ.

There are two types of covenants in the Bible: Conditional Covenants and Unconditional Covenants. There are two Conditional Covenants and six Unconditional Covenants.

A Conditional Covenant is one that is characterized by an “if-then” relationship. God says, “If you’ll do this, I will do this.” Both the Edenic Covenant and Mosaic Covenant are Conditional Covenants. Israel did not keep their part of the bargain, breaking both covenants.

An Unconditional Covenant is a covenant in which God simply says, “This is what I am going to do, irrespective of what you do.” The Adamic Covenant, the Noahic Covenant, the Abrahamic Covenant, the Palestinian Covenant (also called the land Covenant), and the Davidic Covenants are Unconditional Covenants.

Five of these eight covenants were made exclusively with Israel while the others were made with mankind in general. Only one of the five covenants made with Israel is conditional: the Mosaic Covenant. The other four covenants with Israel are all unconditional: the Abrahamic Covenant, the Land Covenant, the Davidic Covenant, and the New Covenant.

Four things should be noted concerning the nature of the unconditional covenants made with Israel.

First: they are literal covenants and their contents must be interpreted literally as well.

Second: the covenants that God has made with Israel are ETERNAL and are not in any way restricted or altered by time.

Third: it is necessary to re-emphasize that these are UNCONDITIONAL COVENANTS that were not abrogated because of Israel's disobedience; because the covenants are unconditional and totally dependent upon God for fulfillment, their ultimate fulfillment can be expected.

Fourth: these covenants were MADE WITH A SPECIFIC PEOPLE: ISRAEL. This point is brought out by Paul in Romans 9:4: who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises.
This passage clearly points out that these covenants were made with the covenanted people and are Israel's possession.

The Edenic Covenant, made between God and Adam, is summed up in Genesis 2:17, “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die.” This covenant was conditional; if you eat, you will die. Adam ate and Adam died, introducing sin into the world.

The Adamic Covenant, made between God and Adam, is summed up in Genesis 3:17-19, “…to Adam he said, Because you have hearkened unto the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree, of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat of it: cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil shall you eat of it all the days of your life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to you; and you shall eat the herb of the field; in the sweat of your face shall you eat bread, till you return unto the ground; for out of it were you taken: for dust you are, and unto dust shall you return.” It is an Unconditional Covenant and is very much in effect today.

The Noahic Covenant, made between God and Noah, is summed up in Genesis 9:13-17, “I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud, and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth.” The Noahic Covenant is very much in effect today.

The Abrahamic Covenant, made between God and Abraham, is summed up in Genesis 12:2-3 “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and be you a blessing: and I will bless them that bless you, and him that curses you will I curse: and in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” The Abrahamic Covenant is unconditional, it is still very much in effect even though it has remained largely unfulfilled.

A Study in Proverbs Chapters 08-09

In our analogy, Proverbs is the story of a young person maturing in his faith. The young man is ready to go to college. The school of Wisdom and the school of fools bid for his application.

In chapters 8 & 9, Solomon writes two great poems.

The poem in chapter 8 is written like a speech. The speaker is the woman called Wisdom. In this case, she represents the Bride of Christ.  She has a message everyone should listen to, the message of salvation.

The final great poem is chapter 9. This poem contrasts the woman called Wisdom, against another woman, called ‘The Foolish Woman’. Both women invite the simple people to a meal. If you accept the right invitation, then you will live. If you accept the other invitation, then you will die.

Chapter 8

Verses 1-3 – Christ  (Wisdom) woos us through His Holy Spirit. He, in effect, cries out to us, urgently making us aware of our need for Him.

Verses 4-7 – No matter who you are, Jew or Gentile, God’s message is for you. He is not a respecter of persons.

Verses 8-9 – Whenever we think we know more than God, we need to realize that He is right and we are wrong. If we are in Him, we know that.

Verses 10-11 – “Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have I give to you.” What Peter had was the message of salvation. The lesson of salvation is more precious than gold or rare stones.

Verses 12-21 – Wisdom (Christ) is all knowing. He is always right. He loves us. He bestows on us the gift of salvation that will last forever. His work (the finished work at the cross of Calvary) will last forever.

Verses 22-31 – Christ was there when the world was created. He is the eternal I AM. He was there at the covenants God made (referenced here by the rainbow of the Noahaic Covenant. Christ was the one who did all of this. This is a precursor to John 1:1ff.

Verses 32-36 – Keep Christ’s commands (the New Covenant commands of proper love for God, neighbor and self), and you will be content in your soul. When you find Wisdom (Christ) you find life. If you don’t love Christ, you love death and that will be the payment for your sin.

Chapter 9:1-12

Verses 1-3 – God’s house is beyond our imaginations. He has built a place there for you.

Verses 4-6 –  God’s invitation is to those who are not so arrogant that they think they have no need for Him. He invites anyone to partake of the banquet of salvation.

Verses 7-9 – The world will not easily accept God’s gift, and if they don’t want it, there is no reason to “hound” them about it. Present the gospel to a person willing to hear it, and he will love you for it and will become wiser with age.

Verse 10 – We began by learning that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Now we learn that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom. When we come to Christ, the first thing we must recognize is the greatness and sovereignty of God. We must recognize that sin separates us from Him and that if we want His eternal life we must place our trust in His Wisdom. His Wisdom is Christ.

Once we come to Christ, we must grow in Him, just as the young man in Proverbs is growing. Wisdom (Christ) cares for us. He offers a real reward: Eternal Life in Him.

A Study in Proverbs Chapters 04-07

Remember, Proverbs can be seen as the growth and maturing of a young man and can be interpreted as the growth process of a Christian from his New Birth to his maturity in Christ.

Chapter 4

Verses 1-6 – Although the child is now a boy who has entered the big, bad and mad world, he is still counseled to remember the instruction of his father. Basically, Solomon is saying: “Pay attention to God in Christ and stay the course of eternal life.

Verse 7 — This thought runs like a stuck record through the entire book as the total objective of life. Wisdom, for the Christian, is Christ.

Verses 8-22 – Stay faithful as the Bride of Christ to Christ. The gift you will receive is like a beautiful crown: eternal life.

God’s words will bring you life. Put them in your heart. Resist the wiles of Satan. He will flee from you

Stay true to the sound doctrine of the Bride of Christ. Don’t be swayed by false winds of doctrine and enjoy the beauty of Christ’s church.

You cannot escape God’s overseeing. He will keep you to the end. The world will try to entice you, but don’t let them do it.

Verses 23-27 – The heart is the seat of the total personality. For itsimportance, get a concordance and look up all the references to the heart. Romans tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Let God guide you in all you do.

Chapter 5

The message of chapter 5 is: The private life of the individual is always open before the Lord. You cannot excape His gaze or His leadership. In this chapter, the woman is analogus to Israel and her unfaithfulness to God.

Chapter 6

Verses 1-5 – Beware of signing a friend’s note, and never become a partner with a stranger. Be not unequally yoked, believer with unbeliever in either marriage or business.

Verses  6-9 — Don’t be lazy. Have a plan. Be organized. Let the lowly ant teach you.

Verses 10-15 – Sometimes we get lazy in our faith. Sometimes Christ’s church gets lazy and lets down its guard. That’s when we and the church begin to lose what God has had for us.

Verses 16-19 — God loves, but God also hates. Here are 7 things on His hate parade. They are an ugly brood. Pride is number 1. Pride is a tumor of the brain. Through pride, Satan fell (Isaiah 14:12-17). Contrast these 7 things with the 7 beatitudes.

Verses 27-32 — The young man is being given a full sex education. A clean life is the only thing that meets God’s standard. It is in conflict with, and actually opposite to, the “new morality.”

Chapter 7

The message of chapter 7 is: Beware of the woman of easy morals. Stay true to Christ’s church and sound doctrine.

Where Would He Lead?

Suppose you were a church that had been led to grow to 3 or 4 times your original size. Suppose you were then led to purchase a new building to accommodate that growth. Suppose then you were led into financial difficulties and had to split up. Who would you call to lead you back to where you once were and into the future?

Click here to see some of the pastoral qualifications a pastor should fulfill.

Here are some ministerial questions a prospective pastor should be asked.

1.  If you are called to be our pastor, what steps would you take to establish a meaningful Bible study ministry for all age groups?

2.  If you are called to be our pastor, what steps would you take to establish a meaningful ministry to train all age groups in sound doctrine and to train leaders to lead in such a way as to make their leadership a proper offering to Christ?

3.  If you are called to be our pastor, what steps would you take to establish a meaningful missions ministry that taught the importance of missions and activities for missions to all age groups?

4. If you are called to be our pastor, how would ;you prepare your messages in such a way that the central theme of each one is the gospel of Christ?

5. If you are called to be our pastor, in what way would you lead to make certain that all worship services are geared toward worship and praise as pure and acceptable offerings to a holy an sovereign God?

6. If you are called to be our pastor, in what way would you lead to assist the church to establish and maintain sound Biblical fiscal responsibility?

7.  If you are called to be our pastor, what would be your God given vision as to where we will be five years from now?

8.  If you are called to be our pastor, how would you go about insuring that all leadership is steeped in sound Biblical, New Covenant doctrine?

9.  If you are called to be our pastor, what steps would you take to ensure that all members are afforded a realistic opportunity to know everything there is to know about every aspect of the life of our church?

10.  If you are called to be our pastor, what objective, goals and actions would you lead us toward in the next year?

Those are nine questions that every prospective pastor should be ready to answer. They speak to his ability to lead into the future in a positive, Spirit-filled way. They speak to his administrative skills.

Come to think of it, they are questions every pastor, new or established, should be ready to answer.

A Study in Proverbs Chapter 3

Proverbs Chapter 3:9-35

1. Proverbs is Wisdom personified in Christ.
2. Proverbs is Wisdom fulfilled in Christ
3. Proverbs is Wisdom exemplified in Christ
4. Proverbs is Wisdom provided in Christ
Every verse in Proverbs is about wisdom and righteousness as revealed in the life of the Lord Jesus.

The young boy (who represents young Christians) is now to listen to God, as he was advised as a child in the home to turn to his father and mother (Proverbs 1:8).

Verses 9-10 – Everything we have belongs to God. Everything. All of our money, all of our posessions, all of our hearts and all of our being. Jesus paid it all. All to Him we owe. Whatever we have is to be used to bring honor to God. When we honor Him with all we have, we receive the New Wine: salvation through Christ.

Verses 11-12 – God has many lessons about life for us to learn. We should be enthusiastic to learn them. We should learn them early, we should learn them well and we should learn them joyfully. God cares about His children. Hebrews (Paul’s commentary on Romans for the Jewish readers) 12:5-11 tells us we should take God’s lessons seriously and should realize they are evidence of His love.

Verses 13-18 – Here Solomon is likening wisdom to a woman. If we let the womsn equal the church, we find in these verses the relationship the Bride of Christ to Christ (Wisdom). The church is to make Him happy. Christ’s bride is valuable. She will never pass from the earth. She provides a vehicle through which we can draw closer to Christ.

Verses 19-20 – “God created the world by His wisdom.” This is more evidence that wisdom is Christ. John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the word. The word was with God. The word was God. He was with God in the beginning. God made everything by his word. He made nothing without the word.” John explains that ‘the word’ means Jesus. Jesus was always with God, because Jesus is God.

Verses 21-26 – We are to hold tight to Christ. He will guide us correctly. The life we receive from Christ is eternal. In Chirst is no fear, only a spirit of love. He will keep you from Satan’s snare.

Verses 27-30 – God’s love through Christ is to manafest itself in our good works. We are to help who we can, as soon as we can in the name of Jesus. Some see verses 29 and 30 as reference to Christ’s innocence before the crucifixion.

31-32 – In Christ we will keep our focus on Him. We will not associate intimately with those who are cruel (lost). We will not be unequally yoked.

33-35 – It is not a good idea to trifle with God. He is all powerful, and we should fear Him. That is the beginning of our knowledge and leads to repentance and salvation. Those who do not turn to Him will face God’s judgement and wrath. Those who turn to Him receive eternal life.

Characteristics of Teachers of False Doctrine

Scripture has a great deal to say about false doctrine and those who teach it.

Matthew 7:15 warns: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits.”

First Timothy deals extensively with teachers of false doctrine. In fact, that’s what the whole book is really about.

Romans 16:27 -  “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.”

We often emphasize the “divisions and obstacles” in this passage, but we tend to ignore the “contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught” part.

There are references to false teachers in 1 John, 2 John, Titus, the Revelation and many other places.

What are some characteristics of teachers of false doctrines and how do you recognize them.

Teachers of false doctrines typically promise what they cannot deliver. Their promises are often based on some imagined “word from God” that causes them to teach contrary to scripture or to teach practices that violate God’s set laws of finance. They eventually end up destroying the church they are supposed to serve.

In other words, the fruits of false doctrine are often collapse and church splits. Those are not acceptable fruits.

Teachers of false doctrine often stray from the gospel and teach some sort of prosperity faith, faith-healing or spiritual heresy.

Many teachers of false doctrine are leaders of very large congregations and are very charismatic. They teach a sort of “positive thinking” theosophy resulting in leading hoards astray.

Sometimes teachers of false doctrine are not the leaders of “mega-churches,” but of churches that should be growing but because of their false teachings and/or their inattention to the gospel, end up splitting instead.

Another characteristic of teachers of false doctrines is that they “experiment” with a variety of styles of both worship and education. They leave the methods that follow the principles laid out in God’s word and follow the crowds of those who are bent on becoming modernists.

The really sad thing is that leaders of the congregation who really “like the pastor” follow him over the cliff of failure and despair, blaming everything but themselves for being led down the wrong path.

More than anything else, Christians need to learn how to “rightly divide” the word, understanding that it is God’s revelation of His character, His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption.

The Proper Use of Scripture

Most people have read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, but what if you had not? If someone turned to chapter 4 and read, “I know your purpose is to do me good…” and then read, “Scrooge advanced to listen to their talk,” what would you conclude the book is about?

The answer is you would not have any way of knowing what the book is about. Any answer you gave would be pure conjecture. The two quotes have no context and without context it is impossible to know the story from these short quotations.

The same principle applies to Scripture. You just cannot select a section, read it and understand it apart from its context of the word used, the verse it is in, the chapter it is in, the book it is in and the Bible as a whole. Any time you do that, you are not “preaching the Bible,” you are preaching your philosophy.

Take for example 2 Corinthians 1:8-11. By itself, it seems to be a short discourse about difficulties, wherever we find them and the necessity to rely on God and not ourselves.

Both things are contained in the passage and both are true, as far as they go. Paul had difficulties and so will we. We need to rely on God and not on ourselves. But to think this is the point of this passage is a mistake and does a disservice to the Word of God. This passage cannot be applied haphazardly as some form of encouragement to the church when things are hard, or some vague, mystical positive attitude.

Sadly, somebody divided Scripture into chapters and verses that were not there in the original texts. They are there to make it easier for us to find our place, but they tempt us to quote sections and apply them incorrectly. The old adage “Scripture has only one interpretation but many applications” is simply not true. Scripture has only one application: the revelation of God’s character, His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption.

This passage is about God’s faithfulness, but that’s not all. It is about why we can count on Him in every situation because of Christ. The pivotal verses are verses 19 and 21: “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us – by me and Silas (or Silvanus) and Timothy – was not ‘yes’ and ‘No,’ but in Him it has always been ‘Yes.’”  “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm IN CHRIST. He (God) appointed us, set his seal of ownership on us and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, GUARANTEEING WHAT IS TO COME.”

That, and only that, is true to the narrative from verse 1 through the end of the book.

We would all be better off if we would stick to using Scripture as it was intended to be used; not a series of truths to be applied as we need them, but as the Truth, who is Jesus.

A Study in Proverbs Week 2

Proverbs Chapter 2

Proverbs illustrates the pattern of growth for a new Christian. In Proverbs there are three main characters,the young man (whose growth is detailed), the woman called Wisdom, and Christ (who is the personification of wisdom).

In Chapter 2, The young man (still a boy) begins to grow up and moves beyond the circle of the home. He has some life lessons to learn, including Wisdom (Christ). As young Christians, we have many spiritual lessons to learn, including the wisdom to use our freedom in Christ properly.

Verses 1-5 – Here the young man is given a conditional promise: If he learns to accept the Word of the Lord (verse 1), he will understand the fear of the Lord and will receive the knowledge of the Lord (verse 5).

Verses 6-8 – Here is a description of God’s character. He is the source of wisdom, a shield to those who walk blamelessly in Christ and is a guard and protector for those whose trust is in Him.

Verses 9-15 – Wisdom will enter your heart. Jeremiah 31:31 tells us that the New Covenant will be one written on our hearts, and you will love it. This is reiterated in Romans, 1 Corinthians, Galatians and Hebrews.

The “way of the wicked men” in verses 12ff is Hell. Those who do not follow the wisdom of Christ are doomed to an eternity of dark ways, perverse evil, and deviousness.

Verses 16-19 – The adulteress (unsaved) here is sin, which is seductive.  No one who follows her will be saved (attain the paths of life.

Verses 20-22 – Those who fear God and are growing in him find righteousness (Christ), uprightness, and blamelessness. Those who don’t are doomed to Hell.

Proverbs Chapter 3

Verses 1-2 – God’s commands are to be kept in our hearts. Hebrews tells us that we no longer have a law written on stone, but written in our hearts. This is another reference to the New Covenant.

Verses 3-4 – The love referenced here is the love of Christ. In Him you will find favor with God.  The life it brings you is eternal life. That’s long.

Verse 5-6 – God’s standard for the Christian is not 10%. The New Covenant demands 100%. Most Christians still believe in only the 10%. They think when they have given 10% they have satisfied the Law. Not so! The Law was satisfied in Christ or else He died for nothing. Christians are to freely give everything they are and have. Do you trust Him enough to do that?

Verses 7-8 – The wisdom you receive from fearing and trusting God is not your own, it is His. In fact, none of anything is about you or me. It is all about Him.

Five indications of Christ in Proverbs

1. Proverbs is Wisdom personified in Christ.
2. Proverbs is Wisdom fulfilled in Christ
3. Proverbs is Wisdom exemplified in Christ
4. Proverbs is Wisdom provided in Christ
5. Every verse in Proverbs about wisdom and righteousness as revealed in the life of the Lord Jesus.

Jesus is said to be “Wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption for us” (1 Corinthians. 1:30). This means that there is no practical wisdom, righteousness or sanctification in our lives unless we are united to Him. Paul explicitly declared that “In Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Who Am I?

I have a real problem. I don’t know who to follow. In fact I don’t follow anybody!

I am not a Calvinist. I believe some of the same things John Calvin believed, but not all of them. I certainly don’t subscribe to all of the tenants of TULIP.

I cannot be considered an Armenian. I believe a few of the things he believed, but not all of them. I certainly don’t believe that I’m not currently a sinner, even though I AM saved. A man who farms is a farmer; a man who fishes is a fisherman and a man who sins is a sinner. I sin, therefore I am a sinner.

I love the Moody Bible Institute, but I am not a follower of D.L. Moody. I believe a few of the things he believed, but not all of them. I certainly am not as “legalistic” as Moody was.

I also like the preaching of John MacArthur. I believe some of the things he believed, but not all of them. I don’t subscribe to all of the tenants of “Lordship Salvation.”

My favorite preacher of all time is Dr. Adrian Rogers. I believe a most of the things he believed, but not all of them. I did love his illustrations, though.

Another of my favorites, maybe even tied with Dr. Rogers, is J. Vernon McGee. I believe many of the things he believed, but not all of them. I certainly am not as Calvinistic as he was.

So what, then? What am I? Who am I?

I very much prefer the Apostle Paul’s approach in I Corinthians 1:12-17:

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.

In other words, I am a follower of Christ, and the question is neither “What Am I?” nor “Who am I?”

The question is “Whose am I?”

And the answer is: I am Christ’s.

SUNDAY SOUNDS OF PRAISE-God Gave the Song-Sandi Parry

A Study in Proverbs - Week 1

A proverb is a saying that conveys a specific truth in a pointed, pithy way. Proverbs are short sentences, drawn from long experience. The writer of Proverbs, Solomon, was experienced.

In Proverbs can be seen the story of a young man. Two schools bid for him. One is the school for fools, the other is the school of Wisdom. [Wisdom is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ (see 1 Corinthians 1:30)]. It covers the beginning of his life’s journey, his growing up, his teen-age years, his “college” years, his young adulthood and his maturing.

This parallels the life of a Christian from his new birth, his growth in the Lord, his developing of his wisdom in Christ and his maturing in Christ.

Proverbs Chapter 1

Verses 1-6 – Solomon was David’s son and the king of Israel. He wrote about 3,000 proverbs, some of which are recorded in this book. They are intended to help you grow in wisdom and in faith. Verse 4 says, “If you are simple, then you will learn more. Young people will learn knowledge and learn to be careful.”  I Corinthians 1:27 says, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame (confound) the wise…” Jesus said, “Blessed are those who recognize their need to learn more about God (the meek), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:5).

Verse 7 – This is the beginning of the theme of Proverbs. A person who does not know God may be clever. He may have many skills. We can learn many things from him. But such a person lacks something important. He has learned many lessons. But he has missed the first lesson. Real knowledge, the knowledge of God, begins when a person fears God.

Even we Christians sometimes fail to fear God. Think about Him. His right hand spans the universe (Isaiah 48:13)! He is ALL-powerful.  Splitting one atom destroyed Hiroshima. Think of the explosive power contained in the trillion to the trillionth power plus of all of  the atoms in the universe. God is more powerful than that! Is that not worthy of fear? Wouldn't it be stupid to think it was not?

Verses 8-19 – The young boy is taught to obey his parents and to learn from them. Ephesians 6:1 tells us, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord…” The crowd will urge him to follow them, to succumb to peer pressure. Solomon says, “Don’t do that. They will lead you wrong.” Who you hang out with makes a difference. The responsibility of the parents is to teach the their children (babes in the Lord) wisdom. We need to do the same with newborns in Christ.

Verses 20-33 – Wisdom is likened to a woman. She is astonished at how few learn wisdom and its truths. She goes to the judges to get a judgement against her children. She is calling out, but the children do not listen. They want their own way, not hers. She warns that without wisdom they will be destroyed.

The young man in our story must be taught to know God and to respect Him. If he does not accept advice or correction, he will reap the reward of destruction. If he remains an ignorant fool, he will be destroyed.

But if he learns to listen to the wisdom of God (found in the Word of God), he will be safe, can relax and need not fear either life or the future.

True wisdom comes from knowing, fearing and responding to God. That can come only through a personal relationship with Him by trusting in, and only in, the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary.

If you have never done so, repent of your sin. Turn away from it. Change your mind about who Christ is and place you faith in Him as your Lord (the boss of your life) and Savior. You will then receive eternal life. There is no other way.