Do Your Part and God Will Do His

Scripture reference: Zechariah 8:11-17

The Old Testament prophets all proclaim of how God tells His people that he will bless them if they do what He wants them to do, and how He will punish them if they do what He tells them not to do. Blessings follow obedience, and punishment follows disobedience. It is God's way of assuring us that He will always keep his word, and is always just.

In this passage God declares that He is going to pour out his blessings of peace and prosperity on His people as a way of displaying to the rest of the world that He is a great God. He tells His people not to be afraid or discouraged for any reason. And He instructs them to get on with the business of re-building the temple. God promises that if they do this He will bless them.

Based on the idea given to us by Paul that we are the living temple of God, what does this message mean to us? It should have a physical, mental, and spiritual meaning. For, as a complete person, we are a sort of temple complex composed of three parts: body, mind, and spirit. Therefore, a complete temple rebuilding effort must include all aspects of God's living temple.

The rebuilding of the physical temple might include a change in diet and activities. It could be we have allowed God's temple to become weak and flabby. This is not a true representation of a great and mighty God. God's temple should be a reflection of His strength and greatness. It should be healthy and strong, just as God's grace toward His people is healthy and strong. It should be attractive and inviting, encouraging strangers to want to come close to God. God's temple should represent His awe inspiring appearance, His life sustaining healthiness, and his dependable strength.

God's temple should also be a place of knowledge and wisdom. It should be a place where people with questions and problems can go to with confidence that they will be able to receive sound, reliable answers and advice. This may mean that the living temple you are responsible for needs so upgrading. Maybe some time needs to be spend reading. Perhaps a seminar or retreat is in order. It could be attending a new class or subscribing to a new magazine will facilitate a rebuilding of your temple.

The temple of God is also a residence of His Holy Spirit. It is a place from which His Spirit can communicate with others. It is a tool that His Spirit can use to do His will. The temple of God should be a place which those seeking communion with and comfort from His Spirit can go to and find solace. This means spending a disciplined amount of time in communion with God through prayer and meditation on a regular basis. As a result of that relationship with God, the Holy Spirit will abide in His Temple, available and ready to minister to all who seek Him at His temple.

At the end of our reference passage God says, "OK. I have promised to do my part. Now, here is your part. Tell the truth. Be fair. Live at peace with everyone. Don't plot harm to others, don't swear that something is true when it isn't. How I hate all that sort of thing, says the Lord." (Zechariah 8:16-17 TLB) In other words, live the simple command Jesus gave us; "Love one another as He has loved us." That is our part in our relationship with God. And we can be assured that we will be blessed by doing our part. We can be equally assured that a lack of blessings will result from us not doing our part. For God always keeps His promises. The resurrection of Christ is proof of that.

May God bless you and guide you on your way. Amen.

A Stale Loaf Rather Than the Bread of Life

According to the Baptist Press, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) is a loosing team. The number of new members has dropped again for the third year in a row. The number of new members, registered by the number of baptisms performed, was nearly 19,000 fewer in 2007 than in 2006. This in spite of the fact that they built 473 new churches. Apparently they were simply re-arranging deck chairs on a sinking ship.

Up until a month ago I was a member of a SBC church in San Antonio, TX. I left it because, quite frankly, it was a dead church. I think it had was dead when it was formed simply to give its members a place to worship that was closer to the new neighborhoods they had moved to. The majority of the membership was over fifty years old, and their ideas of church were even older. There was no understanding of anyone born after 1955, and no attempt to reach out to anyone younger than the youngest deacon. The youth department had fewer than twenty active members, despite the fact that thousands of children lived within a two mile radius of the church. And the pastor, rather than being a leader, allowed himself to be controlled completely by the stale old traditions of the stale old membership. The entire church was like a loaf of bread that had a growing amount of mold on it.

The Church of Jesus Christ is supposed to be a living, healthy body. It should always be as fresh as a loaf of bread right out of the oven. For the Church is the body of Christ; and He is a living person. And His message is just as fresh today as it was two-thousand years ago. It is healthy, life giving nourishment food for a starving world. It should not be a stale left over from years gone by. It should not be an old, dry biscuit you throw to a spiritually hungry person just because it is what you have had in your cupboard since your father's days. What the Church presents to the world should be like the wine Jesus presented to the steward at the wedding in Cana; it should be the finest and best any man has ever tasted.

The problem the SBC and many other churches fail to recognize is that the environment they present is one of old, faded traditions, rather than an atmosphere of vibrant life. Walking into many churches is like walking into the lobby of a funeral home. The mood is somber almost to the point of being depressing. The behavior of the occupants is restrained rather than exuberant. And the sermon is an expository description of a life which has very little if any resemblance to that experienced by ordinary, modern man. There is a complete absence of the abundant life promised and practiced by Jesus.

For the church to be a living, growing body, it must be a storehouse of fresh bread of life. It must be a place where the spiritually hungry, tired, unhappy, lonely, and lost know they can go to and always find high quality food for their soul. It should be a place alive with a celebration of life; a place filled with exuberant people joyfully rejoicing and praising God for the great life He has given them. It should be a place where the occupants can't wait for the opportunity to share the bread of life with others. It should be the very real living body of Christ.

If our faith is really alive, then our expression of our faith will be truly alive. If we truly have the abundant life of Jesus in us, then we will abundantly share that life with other. If we are always refreshing and renewing our minds with the Holy Spirit, then we will always have a fresh, new message to present to those seeking to satisfy their hunger and quench their thirst. We will always have a fresh loaf of the bread of life to break with anyone who comes to His table.

May His Spirit guide you and keep you fresh.

God's Power, Not Man's Wisdom

Scripture reference: 1 Corinthians 2:4-14

Paul always emphasized that what he preached was not taught to him by any man and did not come from himself. It is not man's wisdom, but a demonstration of the power of God that was revealed in Paul's teachings. And it was not with what the world considered wise and fancy words that Paul sought to persuade people to accept the gospel, but the power of the Holy Spirit that touched men's soul's and spoke to men's hearts.

Paul tells us that it is the Holy Spirit that knows the secrets of the depths of God's spirit, and can reveal those secretes to the man who has accepted Jesus as Christ and has received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. But the man who does not have the Spirit of God in him cannot understand the wisdom of God, because it is only the Holy Spirit that can reveal it to him, not some man using man's wisdom and man's eloquent speech. This is why Paul made sure that he spoke plainly to ordinary men. So that there would be no doubt that what he said was of God, and not just his ideas.

Today America is filled with men in pulpits filled with self-confidence presenting sermons based on man's wisdom using man's eloquent words. They present "culturally relevant" topical messages on issues every man can understand without the aid of the Holy Spirit. They speak of having an uncluttered life, having a good marriage, having a successful career, and having material, worldly prosperity. They speak the words of man with the wisdom of man so that they can receive man's approval. The Holy Spirit is not in them, not in the words they speak, and not in the audience that hears them.

It needs to be remembered that the church is not going to be a place attractive to all men because it reveals the truth many men want to hide from. And the job of the preacher is not to gain the approval of men, but to be a voice for the Holy Spirit to communicate His message to the hearts and souls of those called of God according to His purpose. The message which come from the pulpit will be a mystery, foolishness, and a stumbling block for some; for others it will be the bread of life. Some with have no idea what the preacher was talking about, but those to whom the secretes are revealed by the Holy Spirit will receive the wisdom of God. And in that wisdom is the power of God.

I agree that we need to try to reach the un-churched and the seekers, but that is exactly what Paul did. He was speaking to people for whom his message was something brand new and completely different from every other message they had ever heard. And because his words came from and were directed by the Holy Spirit, they were just the right words delivered in just the right way to reach the ones called by God. Paul did not have to preach sermons that made people feel good, dealt with current issues, or promised material prosperity. Paul proclaimed Jesus Christ, and him crucified for the propitiation of sins. It was the plain, simple gospel of Jesus Christ which touched men's hearts and soul's. It was the Word of God's grace through Christ Jesus which won the approval of men, not Paul's word. And that is how it should be today.

May the Grace of God, the love of Jesus Christ, and the peace of the Holy Spirit be with you.

Jewish Resistance to the Gospel

If you carefully study the book of Acts, as well as study the early history of the Church and the last years of Jewish Jerusalem, you will discover that the greatest threat to followers of Jesus were orthodox Jews. Just as the Pharisees, Scribes, and members of the Priesthood clan opposed Jesus during his life, and then persecuted his disciples (to the point of death were Stephen and James the Just were concerned) after Christ's death within the scope of Israel, they then persecuted Paul and tried to destroy the young Church in Asia. The orthodox Jews saw the young Church of the gospel of Jesus Christ as a threat to their power and favored lifestyle. Its message of equality of all in the eyes of God, and its emphasis on humility and service, was in complete opposition to the view taught and tightly held by the Jewish ruling class. As a result, the orthodox Jews sought to assure the teachings of Jesus were completely excluded from Jewish life.

If you closely study the society of the current State of Israel, you will discover that nothing has changed. The ruling orthodox Jews of Israel still want to keep the teachings of Jesus and its followers out of Israel. Christians who visit Israel are told not to display crosses, because the cross is seen a symbol of hatred in Israel. Christian are forbidden by law to do missionary work in Israel. And Jews who believe Jesus is the promised Messiah, are persecuted today just as they were two-thousand years ago. As an example, check out this news article the Baptist Press.

According to Baptist Press, the Supreme Court of Israel has ruled that Messianic Jews have the same rights regarding automatic citizenship as Jews who do not believe in Jesus as the Messiah. The case was brought by 12 applicants who had been denied citizenship primarily because they were Jewish believers in Jesus. Most of them had received letters saying they would not receive citizenship because they "commit missionary activity," according to an e-mail circulated by Calev Myers, founder and chief counsel of The Jerusalem Institute of Justice. A clerk at the Ministry of Interior reportedly had told one of the applicants that because she was committing missionary activity, she was acting against the interests of the state of Israel and the Jewish people. Israel's Supreme Court ended the two-and-a-half-year legal battle April 16 by ruling that Messianics should receive equal treatment under the Israeli law of return, which says that anyone who is born Jewish can immigrate from anywhere in the world to Israel and be granted citizenship automatically. "This is yet another battle won in our war to establish equality in Israel for the Messianic Jewish community just like every other legitimate stream of faith within the Jewish world," Myers wrote.

As much as many Americans like to think that Christians and Jews should be friends, and Christians should always support Jews, the reality of Jewish persecution of believers in Jesus as the Messiah should not be lost in a spirit of Political Correctness. The Jews still resist the truth of God, are still in rebellion against God, and still see Christianity as a threat. The attitude of the privileged Jews who cling desperately to their power and positions of authority over the common Jews are the same now as in the days when Jesus walked the country roads of Israel. They still see gentiles as unclean and not equal to them in the eyes of God.

There have been legal cases here in the United States based on Jewish claims that the attempt of Christians to convert Jews to Christianity is a hate crime. And, although a Christian would be instantly fired for making fun of Judaism on national radio, Denis Miller's partner had no problem calling Jews for Jesus a cult of kooks. Even a high school student sharing his faith with a fellow Jewish student is seen by Jews as persecution of the Jewish child.

Regardless of the objections of Jews, as followers of Jesus, we are still under His command to preach His teachings to all the world. He told us we would be persecuted for doing this. And he did not make any exception for the children of Israel. It is still our duty to God and our Lord Jesus Christ to tell everyone everywhere about the saving Grace of God revealed to all mankind through the person of Jesus. It is a message which is a stumbling block to those who resist it, and a message of life to those who are called of God to receive it. We should never be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, and never be convinced that we should not share it will Jews.

Therefore, friends, go forth into all the world and tell the Good News of Jesus Christ. Be bold. Be brave. And remember His promise to be with you alway.

Passover-The Source of The Lord's Supper

Scripture references: Exodus 12:1-20, Mark 14:22-25

This is the week of Passover; the annual event during which the Jews remember and commemorate the night God performed the final miracle in Egypt which finally caused Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave. It was his final Passover meal that Jesus ate with his disciples in an upper room the night he was betrayed by Judas. It is this meal from which we Christians get our ordinance we call Communion or The Lord's Supper.

The important element of the Passover meal, the one which is the symbol of the Christ, the Savior, is the first born lamb without blemish of any kind. It is to be sacrificed and consumed, while wearing traveling clothes. That last part is something that is never mentioned in Communion services, but it is very important; it is of great symbolic significance for the Christian. It is something Paul understood quite clearly.

First, we are not to nibble at the teachings of Christ, like a little child playing with his meal. Nor are we to treat the message of Jesus as a buffet or cafeteria line from which we can select what pleases us and ignore the rest. The instructions God gave to Moses concerning the Passover lamb was that it was to be consumed completely. They were to eat the whole thing in one meal. Likewise, we are expected to consume the message, the gospel of Jesus Christ completely. We are to make every part of it a part of us. This was the message Jesus game us himself in the symbolism of declaring the bread his body and the wine his blood. He said it was giving for us, and we were to eat and drink all of it; for it was giving for our salvation, just as the blood of the sacrificial Passover lamb was for the salvation of the Israelites.

An important instruction from God to Moses concerning the eating of the Passover lamb which is often completely overlooked by pastors during the Communion service is that the meal was to be eaten while wearing traveling clothes. That is because the Israelites were to be prepared to travel as soon as the night was over. As soon as the Passover was concluded, they were to pack up their stuff and be ready to take off for the Promised Land immediately. Likewise, as soon as we have accepted the Lamb of God into our lives, and have consumed his teachings and made all of him a total part of our lives, we are to set out into the world to spread his word to all creation. We are not supposed to partake of the sacrifice just for ourselves, and then sit back and relax. We are to remember that the final instructions from Jesus were to go into all the world baptizing and teaching everything that he taught to all the the world. Remember that he will be with us alway.

So, this week of Passover, let us put on our traveling clothes, have a meal together, and then go forth to spread the Good News. The Lamb of God has been sacrifice for the propitiation of sins, and has been risen from the dead as God's sign that the sacrifice has been accepted by Him, and our sins are forgiven. And, as Jesus promised, all who give up their old lives and ask him to give them a new life, will receive life; a real life of abundance that will last forever. For now we will have the presence of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus promised to send to us as a guarantee of our resurrection, as our comforter and guide while we are still in this world. And then, we shall live with our savior in his father's kingdom forever. Praise God.

May God's Holy Spirit be with you and strengthen you now and always. Amen.

Canaanite Contamination

The scripture reference for this is rather long, but is really necessary. Read Judges 1:21-2:23.

What God is saying here in His word is that he told the Israelites to get rid of something completely. He wanted this thing, the religion, world view and life style of the Canaanites, out of His land. He wanted the His people to have absolutely nothing to do with it. There was no single part of it that was acceptable to God. So He told His people to remove it from their lives, and have no part of it.

Unfortunately for the children of Israel, they were not totally committed to and totally obedient to God. They removed some of the Canaanite contamination from the land, but let some of it remain. The Israelites had the idea that the Canaanites were not all bad. And, if they made them their slaves and controlled them it would be alright. In other words, they thought they knew better than God. Where as God had said that even having "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." (Galatians 5:9 KJV) And so it came to pass that the Israelites started adopted the Canaanite world view, life style, and religion. The result of that was the anger of God.

In John 3:3 Jesus says, "Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." What he is really saying is that you have to completely and totally cast out of your life everything that was in it before accepting Jesus. You have to get rid of your old world view, life style, and the things that you worshiped or gave prominence to. There is no part of any of it that you can compromise on and try to keep in your new life with Christ. You cannot try to fool yourself into thinking that you can control it; make it your slave. For truly, at some point it will control you, and you will be its slave. You will serve that old idea rather than serving God.

What is needed is a complete confidence that God's wisdom and reasons are far superior to ours. We may think that some element of our old life (the kind of clothes we wore, the things we did for fun, the people we hung out with, the music we listened to, the movies and TV we watched) we be of no harm if we control it. We may think that something is not really bad because other "good" people do it. We may say, "Well, I don't see what could possibly be wrong with that." But in doing so we are making the same mistake the Israelites made. We are not being totally committed and obedient to God. And we are thinking that we know better than He. We are relying on our wisdom and strength rather than His. And, really, who is wiser and stronger than God?

One of the keys to a successful Christian life occurs at the beginning of our walk with Christ. It involves completely and totally removing all of the elements of our old life, and starting new. Becoming a "new born", a "new creation." And then relying on God to populate our new life with the elements He chooses for us. Confidently believing that He will provide for all our needs. He will provide us with new friends, new fun, a new world view, new ideas of fashion and music, all the elements of a brand new life. Once we have completely cast off all of the old and given ourselves completely to Him, He can then create us in the likeness of Christ. At that point he will truly be a member of His kingdom with all of its benefits. This is the promise of God. And it is a promise we can count on Him to keep, if we will do what he commands. That begins with expelling our own person Canaanite contamination.

May the grace of God, the love of Jesus Christ, and the peace of the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen.

Good News

The Greek word evangelion comes from the the two Greek words eu- for "good," and angelion for "message." So the word evangelism literally means telling the good message or good news. And what is the good news? It is also know as the Gospel. The gospel is good news because it witnesses a saving message about God from God. The message that He loves all mankind so much, and wants so badly to be reconciled to man, that He presented his only Son to be a substitutionary sacrifice to pay the debt of our sins. It is a message of a full pardon from condemnation and freedom from the sentence of death that accompanies that condemnation. It is a promise of life. And not just the existence of being in this world with all its ugliness and unhappiness; but abundant life filled with a deep abiding joy and an unexplainable peace. A life filled with the Holy Spirit now, and lived with God and His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, for all eternity. It is a message that we do not have to be the slaves of the ruler of this world, the powers and principalities of darkness, Satan. It is a message that we can be freed for enslavement to sin and death; forever set free by the grace of God through the blood of Christ Jesus. This is the good news.

So, to be an evangelical means quite literally "one who tells or proclaims the good news." The "good news." Not the "bad news." Not, "Hey, you disgusting person, you're going to Hell." But instead, "Hey, you sad, hurting, lonely, lost person, God loves you." That is the "good news." And that is what all of us who call ourselves Christians should be known for. Constantly telling those poor, sad, hurting, lonely, lost people around us in our daily lives that God loves them. Making it clear to them that His saving love is a free gift which they do not have to pay for or earn. For the price of the gift has already been paid for by Jesus Christ. All anyone has to do to receive the gift of salvation is accept the fact that the existence they now experience it not life, is not something they are satisfied with and really want; be willing and wanting to give up that existence completely and totally; admit that they do indeed have a heavy debt of sin they cannot pay for; and accept in their heart and confess with their tongue that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and the one who can give them a new life. Once they make that decision and ask Jesus to take their old life away and give them a new one, they will be born again, and become a new creation. And that is really good news.

So, be bold. Be brave. Go forth and tell the world (your neighborhood, your work place, your school) the good news of Jesus Christ.

Your Mission Field

Yesterday the International Missions Board of the Southern Baptist Church announced the appointment of 92 missionaries. All are foreign missionaries being assigned to places like Africa. It seems Africa is the "mission field du jour." It is the mission filed of choice among people who talk about mission work. I just heard two women yesterday morning talking longingly of how wonderful it would be to be able to be a missionary to Africa.

I am going to make a lot of people mad, but I am sick and tired of hearing Christians talk about Africa. I am sincerely convinced that most of the interest in Africa is the result of nothing other than ego and a desire to feel special among the general public. It is not motivated by a sincere desire to serve God, and spread the teachings of Christ; but is the result of a personal desire for the exotic, and the arrogance of proclaiming a superior religiousosity. Quite frankly, it makes me sick. I am not at all impressed.

In the first two chapters of Nehemiah, and in Acts 1:8 God makes it perfectly clear that our very first objective when it comes to serving God and spreading the teachings of Christ is our home. Nehemiah cried for the plight of his fellow countrymen left in a broken down Jerusalem. It broke his heart when he learned of the conditions they were living with. And Jesus told his disciples that, after they received the Holy Spirit, they were to witness in Jerusalem and then Judea. In both cases, the true servants of God were to serve Him in their home community among their brethren.

I have an online friend named Cam. He is a Canadian missionary serving in the Appalachian region of Eastern Kentucky. That's right; a Canadian Christian missionary serving in America. Why? Well apparently Appalachia isn't exotic. Is does not have the glamorous image of service in Africa. It doesn't appeal to an ego wanting to be seen as special and spiritually superior. So when fellow Americans living in Appalachia asked, "Where have all the American Christians gone?" I guess the response came back, "Gone to Africa." So their cry for help sent up to God was transmitted to Christians in Canada. They heard the cry and call of God, and responded where Americans would not.

In addition to serving in Kentucky, Cam has spent time serving victims of hurricane Katrina. He has pictures on his Facebook site of the work that still needs to be done in that region. Work that is not being done by American Christians. Why? Gone to Africa. So poor Americans continue to live in wrecked and devastated conditions, crying out to God for help. He hears, but does any one in America hear? Or are their ears tuned only to cries from Africa?

Every Christian has a duty to serve others in the name of Jesus Christ, and spread His love and teachings. The thing is, you can do that right where you live. In your neighborhood, your city, your state, and your country. Whether it is volunteering at a local hospital or children's clinic, working with an organization like Christian Senior Services here in San Antonio, or spending a week in Appalachia or Louisiana repairing homes, there are enough needs right here in America to keep every American Christian busy for quite some time. There are the sorrowful to be comforted, the sick to be attended to, the imprisoned to be visited, the hungry to be fed, the naked to be clothed, and the lost to be found.

So, if you are interested in doing mission work, just stick your head out your door and look around. Your mission field is right there. And if you cannot identify the immediate need on your own, contact a local church or Christian service organization. You may be surprised by the long list of needs and opportunities your are presented with right there in your own home town.

Be bold. Be brave. Go forth in your home, and let His love shine out to all. Amen.

Maintaining the Faith of Converts

One of the lessons we learn from the letters of Paul is the importance of supporting, encouraging, and exhorting a new convert so that they will continue in their faith after the initial bright burning fire of conversion has settled down to a glow of coals. Paul's letter's to the churches he had established always demonstrate his concern for their perseverance, his joy with their progress, and his disappointment with any back-sliding. Paul knew that he had "run in vain" if his converts became weary from persecution, were lead astray by faulty teaching, or returned to old lifestyles out of a desire for comfort or worldly lusts. He was always very concerned that they would be able to present themselves as worthy brides of Christ on the day of His return. If that were not to occur, Paul would have considered himself a failure in fulfilling the mission Christ had given to him personally.

There are three stories in the Gospels of Christ bringing someone back from the dead. I believe each story is completely true. At the same time, each story can serve as an allegory of how we should treat a new convert. Jesus shows in each one of the events that those in the lives of the person quickened have the responsibility for caring for that person. And , although the instructions given have a physical connection, they also have spiritual symbolism that should not be ignored.

In the first incidence a twelve year old girl is quickened. Afterwards, her parents are told to give her something to eat. They are to feed the child. Of course they are to feed her in a physical way; but this instruction also indicates that a young convert needs to be spiritually feed. They need to be provided with regular healthy doses of the bread of life, the Word of God.

In the second case a young man is brought back from the dead. Jesus then instructs that the young man is to be returned to the care of his mother. This demonstrates that new converts need to be watched over and cared for the way a mother hen does her young chicks.

The last episode is perhaps the most famous. An older man who has been dead so long he stinks is called out of the tomb of death. And when he emerges from his place of burial, Jesus tells those around him to unwrap the burial clothes which bind him. This is symbolic of how those who have been spiritually dead for a life time can be entangled with the trappings of their sinful lives. There may be debts, a criminal record, an unattractive employment history, a troubled or broken home life, and a collection of unhealthy friends and acquaintances. If left on his own to deal with all these entanglements of his previous life, the new convert might not be able to persevere in his new found faith. He will need the help, encouragement, and fellowship of the church to successfully become free of his past.

The lessons Jesus teaches us in all of these accounts of individuals being quickened is clear. He does the first part of the job, giving life were there was death. Then it is our job to see to it that gift of life which Jesus bought with His blood is maintained. It must be fed, watched over, and helped along. Jesus does his job. We must do ours.

May the Grace of God, the love of Jesus Christ, and the peace of the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen.

The Spirit of God did What?!

The King James Version of the Bible translates Genesis 1:2b as, "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." If we begin with the word translated as waters and work our way backwards through this verse, we end up with a less worldly and more spiritual interpretation.

The word translated as waters is the ancient Hebrew word mayim. Now some of you gentlemen may be familiar with the practice of saying you have to "go make water" when you need to relieve your bladder. This may have been the motivation for the scholars translating a word that means urine, semen, piss, or waste water as waters. However, the term liquid waste or a fluid waste is actually more accurate.

Now let us look at the word translated as face. This word, the ancient Hebrew paniym, is not easily translated, and can have a wide variety of implied meanings and applications. Interestingly, it can mean form, regard and was purposed. In the context of this verse, it would not be out of line to translate this word as meaning what He purposed, or the form He purposed.

Finally we need to examine the word translated as moved. The ancient Hebrew word rachaph means brood or, by implication to be relaxed. For this context brood is probably the best interpretation.

So, what is the thought we should see presented by this verse? It could read like this: "And the Spirit of God brooded upon the form He purposed, a vast liquid waste."

When you consider the picture presented by science of a planet in a formless, molten state before the creation of the solid world we know, this translation makes sense. It also bridges the apparent gap between science and the Biblical story of Creation.

What I hope you will receive from this is a desire to have a closer relationship with the Holy Spirit, and a reliance on Him in discerning the true message of the Holy, inerrant Word of God. Rely on the spirit to guide you with an open mind to His teaching, and you will gain His wisdom. That is what the Bible says we should seek.

May the blessing of God the Father, the Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen.

The Words of The Word

I have been doing quite a bit of exegetical Bible study recently, and I have begun to wonder just how many people really study the words of The Word. And how many ideas, beliefs and doctrines are based on incorrect definitions and interpretations of words. For words must be defined within their anthropology, their immediate context, and the greater context of the author and/or subject. Any interpretation outside this criteria, especially if it is based on supporting a particular belief or doctrine, creates a distortion of The Word. This is a problem which has lead to many of the divisions within the Church.

For an example of how difficult and important a single word can be, let us look at the Greek word kaphale. The King James Version of the Bible translates this word as head. However, after Wayne Grudem looked at 2,336 uses of this word in ancient Greek writings, it has been determined that the more accurate meaning of this word is authority over. It can also mean the source of. Interpreting this word as "authority over" presents a meaning for 1 Corinthians 11:3 which many modern Feminist Christians found very uncomfortable.

Another interesting word which has recently been re-examined is the ancient Hebrew word hayah. In Genesis 1: 2 this word is translated as was. However, the most common interpretation of this word is become, became, come to pass, or came to pass. If you change the translation of this word in Genesis 1:2 to became, it gives you an entirely different meaning for the whole verse. Not only that, it raises the possibility that there was life on Earth before the account of the six days of life creation found at the beginning of Genesis. That is quite a church shaking idea.

My point is this. We should really study The Word under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, rather than allowing it to be spoon fed to us by our favorite preacher. And we should study it boldly without any fear that we may discover a new meaning and definition for words and phrases which is totally different from what we have been taught by tradition. After all, it is The Word of God that should be important to us; not our traditions and denominational doctrines.

May the Grace of God, the love of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the peace of the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen.

The Purpose of the Church

Scripture reference: Ephesians 3:2-12

Until the coming of Christ, God kept in himself, hidden from the world, a great mystery. (A truth or fact which is hidden.) This mystery was revealed the world through the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ Jesus. God then called Paul to convey and explain this mystery to world through his mission to the Gentiles. "This mystery is that through the gospel (the message that Jesus is the Christ and was sacrificed and raised from the dead for the propitiation of sins) the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 3:6 NIV)

The wisdom and grace of God are made clear by the existence of the church. For it is in the church that God's great mystery, the unity of Jews and Gentiles, is made manifest. The very purpose of the church, in the final analysis, is to give glory to God. The glory that flows through the Son, Christ Jesus, and the saving grace which was manifest unto all men through His atoning sacrifice.

God is glorified because through Christ he has fulfilled His promise to Abraham to bless all peoples; to save all the world. Through the death and resurrection of Christ, God has shown himself to be both just and the justifier. The sins of all are paid for, and all are made right with God. Through the church, all mankind receives both the message of the gospel and the the fellowship of God's family. Through the church, God is worshiped and glorified. And that is the purpose of the church.

May the grace and glory of God be with you through Christ Jesus. Amen.

River Crossing

Scripture Reference: Joshua 3

When It came time for the children of Israel to leave the wilderness and enter the land God had promised to their fathers, they had to cross the Jordan river. To make things worse, they had to cross the river during its flood season. The Jordan was well out of its banks; it was a wide, ragging river. For an ordinary man relying only on his own strength it would have been impossible to cross. But as Jesus tells us in Matthew 19:26b, "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." (KJV) And in this case God made the crossing of the Jordan possible by his mighty power; poured out upon his children as a sign of his grace and for his glory.

When it comes to us moving out of our comfort zone into the mission field God has planned for us, sometimes there are personal, psychological and spiritual rivers we must cross. And they can seem wide and deep; greater than we can traverse by our own strength of will. You may face a river called friends, marriage, family, job, ambition, sports, pride, greed, lust, doubt, fear, prejudice, or addiction. Any one of these elements of an ordinary life can be a wide barrier between us and God's plan for our life, inpossible for us to cross by our own power. But God can make it possible for you to cross your river. It may be a plan that seems odd to you; it may be a plan you do not really care for at first thought. But if we rely on His wisdom, and follow His Holy Spirit, he will make a way. He will send the Comforter to guide us and give us the strength we need to carry out God's plan.

There are a few things to keep in mind when facing your river. First, be honest with yourself about the river. Identify it; own it; name it. Do not try to cross the river in the dark. Truth is light. You can only cross the river in bright light.

Trust in God. He knows what you need and what you are capable of. Receive to the plan he gives you with faith and the confidence that it will work and you will be able to accomplish it.

Be submissive to God. Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you; follow his instructions. If you give yourself completely to God through Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit will be in you and empower you to fulfill God's plan.

Once the plan has been accomplished, give God the glory. Broadcast praise and thanks to Him for the great and wonderful thing He has accomplished through you. Remember that it is His plan, His mission, His grace, and is for His glory.

The last thing to remember is that going on any adventure, especially one that requires crossing a wide, ragging river, is always easier and more enjoyable when done with a friend or in a group. It may be difficult to share your particular river with someone else, but having a spiritual partner who can pray for you give God another channel through which to pour out His grace and power to you. Remember what Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." (KJV)

So, go forth into the mission field God's has planned for you. Be bold. Be brave. And may the power of God and the peace of the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen.

Spring - Awakening of Young Life

Scripture Reference: Mark 5:40-42

Although I believe this passage is an account of a real event, I believe it is also an allegory of a couple of things we experience in our lives. One of those is the coming of Spring.

During the Winter the flowering plants and trees go into a deep sleep which looks like death. They leave our lives, and we loose some of our spiritual brightness because of it. The little flowers and the green of grass and leaves on the trees are precious to us. And without them we do not feel as alive. The amount of sunlight becomes and less, the days tend to be cloudy and dark, and the nights last longer. Our days become physically dark, and our spirits become darker. The animals, birds, and flowers die off, go away, or go into a long Winter's sleep. So a little bit of us dies or goes to sleep in the Winter. We become less alive, and long for life to return.

But then the Spring comes; and with it, the things that were asleep wake up and come to life. The little young things like buds on trees and plants, and new born animals and birds pop into life. All of a sudden life all around us is wide awake and lively, just as the young girl was suddenly up and walking about. And with this new life around us, life awakens anew in us. We, too, come out of our Winter sleep into life. Once again there is a spring in our step and a smile on our face. Once again we bask in the warm of sunlight and see a beautiful clearly all around us.

As God gives new life to the flowers and animals of the field, so he bestows new life on us in the form of his Son, Jesus Christ. And just as the little girl came back to life, so those of us who were once spiritually dead, came to life when we gave away our old dead life to Christ, and received new life from Him. And that life knows no end, but goes on abundantly forever. With the Holy Spirit in our very being, the darkness can never again rule our life. His light shines in us, and the warmth of His love protects us from the cold of the dead world. In Him is all life and light. And as we have Him in us, then we always have life and light.

If you are in a dark, cold, lifeless season, I tell you plainly and truthfully that if you call upon Jesus to take away your dark, dead life and give you a new one, he will. And then you, too, will experience a great Spring time in your life. An awakening of real life with all its pleasures. A life of light and love that will go on forever and ever. In the name of Jesus Christ, I declare it is true.

May the Holy Spirit be with you giving you new life.

May the grace of God, the love of Jesus, and the peace of the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen.

Elements of Christian Success

The Bible gives us instructions on what a Christian is, what a Christian does, and how to successfully live the Christian life. I would like to suggest seven elements of Christian success.

• COMMITMENT - Luke 9:57-62; Jesus indicates that we must be completely committed to following him. We must be willing to cast off all the elements of this earthly life, including family and concern for such normal earthly things like a regular home. And once we had made the commitment which must not look back. For Jesus warns that such an individual is not fit for the kingdom of God.
• DEDICATION - Romans 12:1-2; Paul urges us to offer our bodies (our hands to reach out to the poor, our arms to embrace the down trodden, our lips to speak the words of God) as living sacrifices, for this is our duty of spiritual worship.
• BOLDNESS - Acts 5:40-42, Acts 28:31; Peter and Paul were flogged and told to stop preaching Jesus, and went right on preaching with joy that they had been counted worthy of suffering for His name. Paul was being held under guard in a small house in Rome while awaiting trial before Caesar; and even in those circumstances he "boldly preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ."
• PREPARATION - Acts 13:3; Fasting, prayer, and the laying on of hands of the congregation prepare people to go forth and proclaim the Word of God.
• SUBMISSION - James 4:7-8; If we completely submit ourself to God, Satan will flee, and the Holy Spirit will abide with us.
• KNOWLEDGE - Romans 10:17; The knowledge we need to have the kind of faith required to be successful Christians come from hearing (and reading) the Word of God.

• WILLINGNESS - Luke 22:42; Jesus prayed to his Father and asked that, if he (God) be willing, that the cup of sacrifice be taken from him. But Jesus made it clear that he was willing to do the Father's will. This is the willingness we must show to Christ to share in the Glory which his Father bestows on him because of his willingness.

May the Grace of God, the love of Jesus, and the peace of the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen.

David's Prayer

In 1 Chronicles 29:10-19 King David offers a prayer before all the people which stands as an example of one of the finest prayers in the Bible. It's theme and tone are universal and common to all men in every age throughout time. He begins by saying that the Lord God of Israel should be blessed forever and ever. He then acknowledges that all power, glory, victory, and majesty belong to God. He declares that all that is in Earth and Heaven is God's kingdom, and God is exalted above all. King David then states that all we have is really God's because it came from Him to begin with. David acknowledges that all we have has been give to us by God. And not just the material and physical things of our life, but life itself; along with all strength and greatness of any man. Therefore, unto God we give thanks, and praise the glory of his holy name. For all is really his, and he gives of his love, grace, and bounty freely to us. And all he asks of us is that we give to him our love, loyalty, and acknowledgment of his greatness and glory. This prayer which David offered in Israel over two-thousand years ago would be an appropriate prayer to be offered in any church anywhere in the world today. For the God of David is still the God of today. His grace, and power, and glory are forever and ever. Unto Him be all thanks and praise. Amen.