Scripture reference: John 5:2-14
Listening to the radio and watching TV provides one with information on the great variety of man's afflictions. And for every affliction there are thousands and millions who seek relief. They go to doctors, buy pills and tonics, and attend the seminars of gurus who claim to be able to teach the discomforted their secretes for restoring health of mind, body and spirit. Some of the cures offered can provide help in some cases. Much of the advise offered is really quite practical and generally useful. Whoever, the biggest problem most of the people who seeks these cures face is themselves. For more than actually wanting to be healthy, they want a wish to be granted. They want something given to them without paying the terrible price of making a change in themselves. It is not so much that they want to be freed of their affliction; they want to be freed of any consequences of doing and living exactly they way they want. The desire within many is to receive the benefits of a disciplined and moral life, while enjoying all the pleasures of the flesh. In truth, this is the real goal many in our society seek.
If we look closely and honestly at the accounts of those whom Jesus healed, we discover an important element common to every case. The person seeking relief either for them self or for a child, makes supplication to Jesus by kneeling or bowing before him. This is accompanied by a deep desire that they or the one they represent be healed. They seek nothing else. Being relieved of their affliction is all they have in mind. And they are willing to do whatever it takes to acquire a new life.
There are two important lessons to be learned from our reference scripture. The first is the question Jesus asks the man at the pool called Bethesda. Jesus wants to know if the man really wants to be made whole. Why does Christ ask this question? Because the one who knows the secretes of men's hearts knows full well that some people seek not to be whole, but to get sympathy and favors from others. Some want to live like the heathen while receiving the benefits of the saint. Some wish to be told that no matter what they think or how they live they will not be punished. These are people who do not really want to be cured of their sickness, whether of body or spirit. And Jesus said that he came to heal the sick. (Mark 2:17) Jesus did not come that we might continue in our carnal pleasures without receiving the due payment for sin. Therefore, to be cured of an affliction, one must honestly want to be made whole, spiritually as well as physically. For the two, as many of today's doctors and psychiatrists affirm, cannot be separated.
The second part of the lesson is the statement Jesus makes in verse 14, "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." Therein lies the prescription for continued good health. We cannot, once we have received relief from whatever afflicts us, continue in the old life and old ways. Otherwise, we could end up worse off than we were before we got the cure. And this fact is not only made clear by Jesus who tells everyone he heals to "go and sin no more." It is made clear in the Old Testament writings. God would get the Jews out of trouble and free them from bondage, telling them to keep his ways if they wanted to continue to have a good life. But the Jews would fall back into sinful ways, worshiping idols and serving false gods. Then they would end up in a situation just as bad or worse than the one God had freed them from. (Judges 2:11-23, Psalms 106)
The message the Word of God gives to us is quite simple and clear. If any is afflicted in any way, he must first truly want to be made whole. There cannot be any other desire or motive in his mind. For Jesus, who knows the hearts and minds of all men, will know if there is a sincere desire to be whole, or to simply be rid of the consequences of certain carnal pleasures. Then, having been made whole, there must be a change in life. And that change must be profound. It cannot simply be the exchanging of one pleasure for another. It cannot be merely an outward change. There must be a change of heart, mind and spirit. The healed person must become a new creature. This can only be accomplished by first receiving Christ as Lord and Savior, and then receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Only then can a Son of Adam be made truly a whole Child of God.
May the grace of God, the love of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the peace of the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
The Navigator
Many of us know the type. The kid who starts reading at age three. The child who is doing algebra and geometry at at five. The wunderkind who graduates from high school with honors at the age of twelve, and goes on to graduate from some prestigious university with multiple degrees five years later. This was the scholastic history of Claudius Abraham Dexter. By his eighteenth birthday, he was celebrated, honored, famous, and way too impressed with himself. If you looked up the phrase obnoxious conceit online, you found C. A. Dexter's picture. And he did not care.
Upon entering into Star Fleet Academy in 2238, cadet Dexter was warned by his advisory officer that he needed to practice polite humility rather than pained condescension when dealing with his fellow cadets. He was told to remember that Star Fleet in general, and a Starship in particular, are a team. And, if Dexter was to be a successful member of that team, he would have to play nice with all the other team members. This was a difficult lesson for C. A. Dexter to apply at first. But with practice he was able to adapt to the team situation, and soon became a trusted and respected leader.
Having excelled in Natural Sciences, and possessing a keen interest in all aspects of ancient history, 2nd Lieutenant Dexter was, upon graduation from the Academy, assigned to the science vessel the USS Leaky. And, owing to his high exam scores in propulsion engineering, spacial navigation, and multi-phasic probe operations, Mr. Dexter was bridge qualified. Being an attentive and cooperative student, Lt. Dexter was rapidly promoted up through the ranks. Within an astounding eighteen months he was given the rank of full Commander and Chief Science Officer. It was only a year afterwards that Commander C. A. Dexter was awarded the rank of Captain, and assigned to the research vessel, USS Darwin. Her mission was to explore all present and past life of a newly discovered, uninhabited "M" class planet 682,000 parsects from Earth. Just getting there at warp 5 would take ten months. And then the ship and her crew were to remain on station for five years. Cut off from the rest of the fleet, Captain Dexter would basically be the ruler of his own remote world.
Perhaps it was the freedom of complete control over the lives of others. Maybe it was the lack of learning experiences one obtains from a slow, steady rise to authority. Or it could have been plain, age old lusts of the flesh; the idolatry of coveting and worshiping power. And then, again, maybe C. A. Dexter had just been playing nice while biding his time waiting for the day he was fully in command of his own private world. Whatever it was, one month before reaching their assigned destination, the crew of the USS Darwin had decided to commit the ultimate space faring crime, mutiny. They had been, quite frankly, driven mad by the obnoxiously arrogant, self indulging, thoughtless, rude and all round dung head Captain Dexter. They determined that anything would be better than spending five years with a man they had come to deeply hate.
The plan was a simple one. Upon achieving a standard orbit around the planet, the crew flooded the captain's quarter's with Julietheulene gas. That put him into a deep, death like sleep which lasted for three days. The crew then stripped the ship of every thing they would need to live out the rest of their lives comfortably on their new home world. And, to insure that Captain Dexter would not be able to contact Earth, the crew removed and transported the Darwin's deflector dish. As the last man with the last piece of valuable equipment departed for the planet, the helm station was set to automatic with a heading leading out into the emptiness of deep space at warp 5. The crew began a new life, and Captain Dexter sailed off to a sentence of solitary confinement on board a completely empty starship.
When Claudius Dexter awoke from his abnormally long sleep, he immediately sensed that all was not right. As he dressed, Captain Dexter felt an inexplicable uneasiness. He felt anxious and concerned as he stepped out into the deserted passage way. Stopping at a com station, the Captain hailed the bridge. He got no response. Captain Dexter inquired of the computer what the status of the bridge crew was. He was frozen to his spot when the ship's computer informed him that the entire crew had left prior to the ship leaving orbit, and he was the only occupant of the USS Darwin. Succumbing to anxiety and fear, C. A. Dexter ran to the nearest lift. Once it stopped at the bridge, he burst through its doors as if by the force of his will he could command that his crew be in its place. After starring around the empty room, and examining the major control consoles, Captain Dexter collapsed into the Captain's chair. As the realization of his situation sank into his troubled mind, the brilliant Claudius Dexter knew that he had been a true fool. Being alone in deep space with no means of navigating or communicating without the main deflector dish hammered home the fact that he was not so smart that he needed no one else. Completely alone, left to his own talents and abilities, Captain Dexter was forced to face his own inadequacies. Forced to look in the mirror of starkly honest reality, Claudius did not like what he saw. It was a picture of a pathetically empty soul that had never made room for anyone else. He was not just alone now; the truth was that he had always been alone. He had cared more for his own superior thoughts than the feelings and company of his fellow men. Therefore, he knew in his sorrow filled heart that he was reaping precisely as he had sowed. Bowing his head into his hands, the cracking voice of the young Captain vocalized the remorse that now engulfed his once sharp mind, as well as his heart and soul.
"Dear, God; I have been such a fool. I have squandered all the opportunities I have been given for a good life. I traded them for power and dominance. Now I have nothing. I am alone. I cannot communicate to admit my mistake and call for help. I cannot even figure out where I am or how to get back home. Oh, dear God, please have mercy on me, a fool. If only I had a navigator who knows the stars, and someone else so that I would not be alone."
With all his emotions and strength spent, C. A. Dexter fell asleep sitting there in the Captain's char with his head buried in his hands.
Slowly raising his head up, and trying to focus his tear sore eyes, Claudius Dexter froze with shock and wonder at what he saw before him. For seated in the chair at the navigation console was some one or something. It appeared to be a man with shoulder length hair wearing a long white garment. Captain Dexter blinked a couple of times, and then spoke with his usual authoritative tone of command.
"Hey! Who are you?"
Slowly the man in the chair turned partially to his left. With bright eyes and a gentle smile he replied, "I am the navigator." He then returned to his position facing the console, and continued his to work it systems.
Captain Dexter's mind whirled with confusion and questions. He wanted a clear identification from this being. He wanted a name, a home planet, how he got on board the wayward vessel, and what his intentions were. Straightening himself in the Captain's chair, Claudius Dexter asked again, "Who are you?"
Again the man at the navigator's console turned partially toward the captain, this time with a quizzical expression on his face. He thought for a moment, and then, with the emphasis on "I" repeated his original response; "I am the navigator." Confident that he had properly identified himself this time, the man returned his attention to the console.
Captain Dexter felt frustration and indignation rising in the depths of his being. For a moment he again was controlled by his sense of authority and command. He would demand that this individual provide him a satisfactory answer.
"I am going to ask you one more time, who are you?"
Captain Dexter had practically shouted out the question. It was, therefore, a face etched with sincere concern that turned to face him. The man was clearly thinking very carefully. Then, with calm and polite confidence he spoke the words, "I am the navigator." Having given emphasis to the last half of the sentence, the man seemed quite certain that, this time, he had provided Captain Dexter with the answer he sought.
Claudius Dexter sat for a moment, lost in a realm of deep thought; and the the proverbial light went on in his head. The navigator, the man had said. The Navigator! The one who knows how to navigate through the stars and planets without a deflector dish because he was present when the stars and planets were made and put into their present locations. The one who knows every square inch of the universe because he was around before its foundations were laid. The Navigator!
As the realization of who was sitting at the console before him gripped every fiber of Captain Dexter's heart and soul, the navigator again turned toward him with a smile and asked, "Where would you like to go?"
Like a child in a great toy store being asked what he would most like, the Captain's mind raced with ideas of locations he had dreamed of. But sudden, his mind was called to a halt by his heart. He had to be honest. He had never made a decision about the direction of his life which had actually ended in satisfaction. The truth was simple. Captain Dexter needed someone else to plot a course for him, or he would once again be lost.
"You decide," Claudius told the navigator. "We shall go along whatever course you choose."
"Well," said the navigator indicating with his left hand the chair at the helm station next to him, "this business of operating a starship is a partnership. It requires two working together. Will you join me?"
Claudius Dexter thought for a moment of how long he had lusted after the power and prestige of the Captain's chair, and how much it had meant to him. Then he leaped out of it, and practically ran the short distance to the helm station. Sitting down before the console, he turned to the navigator with a smile. "I'm ready," he said.
"Well, then," said the navigator, "the course is plotted and laid in. All that is required is for you engage main drive."
Claudius Dexter took a deep breath, then touched the helm console calling the main drive system to life; and off they went. Thus began the new life of great adventures for Claudius Abraham Dexter. Accompanied by his new partner, the Navigator, he was never again lost, and never again alone. And with the guidance of his new friend and counselor, Claudius found real life, love, and an eternity of friendships.
The End.
May the Holy Spirit be with you and guide you all of your days. Amen.
Upon entering into Star Fleet Academy in 2238, cadet Dexter was warned by his advisory officer that he needed to practice polite humility rather than pained condescension when dealing with his fellow cadets. He was told to remember that Star Fleet in general, and a Starship in particular, are a team. And, if Dexter was to be a successful member of that team, he would have to play nice with all the other team members. This was a difficult lesson for C. A. Dexter to apply at first. But with practice he was able to adapt to the team situation, and soon became a trusted and respected leader.
Having excelled in Natural Sciences, and possessing a keen interest in all aspects of ancient history, 2nd Lieutenant Dexter was, upon graduation from the Academy, assigned to the science vessel the USS Leaky. And, owing to his high exam scores in propulsion engineering, spacial navigation, and multi-phasic probe operations, Mr. Dexter was bridge qualified. Being an attentive and cooperative student, Lt. Dexter was rapidly promoted up through the ranks. Within an astounding eighteen months he was given the rank of full Commander and Chief Science Officer. It was only a year afterwards that Commander C. A. Dexter was awarded the rank of Captain, and assigned to the research vessel, USS Darwin. Her mission was to explore all present and past life of a newly discovered, uninhabited "M" class planet 682,000 parsects from Earth. Just getting there at warp 5 would take ten months. And then the ship and her crew were to remain on station for five years. Cut off from the rest of the fleet, Captain Dexter would basically be the ruler of his own remote world.
Perhaps it was the freedom of complete control over the lives of others. Maybe it was the lack of learning experiences one obtains from a slow, steady rise to authority. Or it could have been plain, age old lusts of the flesh; the idolatry of coveting and worshiping power. And then, again, maybe C. A. Dexter had just been playing nice while biding his time waiting for the day he was fully in command of his own private world. Whatever it was, one month before reaching their assigned destination, the crew of the USS Darwin had decided to commit the ultimate space faring crime, mutiny. They had been, quite frankly, driven mad by the obnoxiously arrogant, self indulging, thoughtless, rude and all round dung head Captain Dexter. They determined that anything would be better than spending five years with a man they had come to deeply hate.
The plan was a simple one. Upon achieving a standard orbit around the planet, the crew flooded the captain's quarter's with Julietheulene gas. That put him into a deep, death like sleep which lasted for three days. The crew then stripped the ship of every thing they would need to live out the rest of their lives comfortably on their new home world. And, to insure that Captain Dexter would not be able to contact Earth, the crew removed and transported the Darwin's deflector dish. As the last man with the last piece of valuable equipment departed for the planet, the helm station was set to automatic with a heading leading out into the emptiness of deep space at warp 5. The crew began a new life, and Captain Dexter sailed off to a sentence of solitary confinement on board a completely empty starship.
When Claudius Dexter awoke from his abnormally long sleep, he immediately sensed that all was not right. As he dressed, Captain Dexter felt an inexplicable uneasiness. He felt anxious and concerned as he stepped out into the deserted passage way. Stopping at a com station, the Captain hailed the bridge. He got no response. Captain Dexter inquired of the computer what the status of the bridge crew was. He was frozen to his spot when the ship's computer informed him that the entire crew had left prior to the ship leaving orbit, and he was the only occupant of the USS Darwin. Succumbing to anxiety and fear, C. A. Dexter ran to the nearest lift. Once it stopped at the bridge, he burst through its doors as if by the force of his will he could command that his crew be in its place. After starring around the empty room, and examining the major control consoles, Captain Dexter collapsed into the Captain's chair. As the realization of his situation sank into his troubled mind, the brilliant Claudius Dexter knew that he had been a true fool. Being alone in deep space with no means of navigating or communicating without the main deflector dish hammered home the fact that he was not so smart that he needed no one else. Completely alone, left to his own talents and abilities, Captain Dexter was forced to face his own inadequacies. Forced to look in the mirror of starkly honest reality, Claudius did not like what he saw. It was a picture of a pathetically empty soul that had never made room for anyone else. He was not just alone now; the truth was that he had always been alone. He had cared more for his own superior thoughts than the feelings and company of his fellow men. Therefore, he knew in his sorrow filled heart that he was reaping precisely as he had sowed. Bowing his head into his hands, the cracking voice of the young Captain vocalized the remorse that now engulfed his once sharp mind, as well as his heart and soul.
"Dear, God; I have been such a fool. I have squandered all the opportunities I have been given for a good life. I traded them for power and dominance. Now I have nothing. I am alone. I cannot communicate to admit my mistake and call for help. I cannot even figure out where I am or how to get back home. Oh, dear God, please have mercy on me, a fool. If only I had a navigator who knows the stars, and someone else so that I would not be alone."
With all his emotions and strength spent, C. A. Dexter fell asleep sitting there in the Captain's char with his head buried in his hands.
Slowly raising his head up, and trying to focus his tear sore eyes, Claudius Dexter froze with shock and wonder at what he saw before him. For seated in the chair at the navigation console was some one or something. It appeared to be a man with shoulder length hair wearing a long white garment. Captain Dexter blinked a couple of times, and then spoke with his usual authoritative tone of command.
"Hey! Who are you?"
Slowly the man in the chair turned partially to his left. With bright eyes and a gentle smile he replied, "I am the navigator." He then returned to his position facing the console, and continued his to work it systems.
Captain Dexter's mind whirled with confusion and questions. He wanted a clear identification from this being. He wanted a name, a home planet, how he got on board the wayward vessel, and what his intentions were. Straightening himself in the Captain's chair, Claudius Dexter asked again, "Who are you?"
Again the man at the navigator's console turned partially toward the captain, this time with a quizzical expression on his face. He thought for a moment, and then, with the emphasis on "I" repeated his original response; "I am the navigator." Confident that he had properly identified himself this time, the man returned his attention to the console.
Captain Dexter felt frustration and indignation rising in the depths of his being. For a moment he again was controlled by his sense of authority and command. He would demand that this individual provide him a satisfactory answer.
"I am going to ask you one more time, who are you?"
Captain Dexter had practically shouted out the question. It was, therefore, a face etched with sincere concern that turned to face him. The man was clearly thinking very carefully. Then, with calm and polite confidence he spoke the words, "I am the navigator." Having given emphasis to the last half of the sentence, the man seemed quite certain that, this time, he had provided Captain Dexter with the answer he sought.
Claudius Dexter sat for a moment, lost in a realm of deep thought; and the the proverbial light went on in his head. The navigator, the man had said. The Navigator! The one who knows how to navigate through the stars and planets without a deflector dish because he was present when the stars and planets were made and put into their present locations. The one who knows every square inch of the universe because he was around before its foundations were laid. The Navigator!
As the realization of who was sitting at the console before him gripped every fiber of Captain Dexter's heart and soul, the navigator again turned toward him with a smile and asked, "Where would you like to go?"
Like a child in a great toy store being asked what he would most like, the Captain's mind raced with ideas of locations he had dreamed of. But sudden, his mind was called to a halt by his heart. He had to be honest. He had never made a decision about the direction of his life which had actually ended in satisfaction. The truth was simple. Captain Dexter needed someone else to plot a course for him, or he would once again be lost.
"You decide," Claudius told the navigator. "We shall go along whatever course you choose."
"Well," said the navigator indicating with his left hand the chair at the helm station next to him, "this business of operating a starship is a partnership. It requires two working together. Will you join me?"
Claudius Dexter thought for a moment of how long he had lusted after the power and prestige of the Captain's chair, and how much it had meant to him. Then he leaped out of it, and practically ran the short distance to the helm station. Sitting down before the console, he turned to the navigator with a smile. "I'm ready," he said.
"Well, then," said the navigator, "the course is plotted and laid in. All that is required is for you engage main drive."
Claudius Dexter took a deep breath, then touched the helm console calling the main drive system to life; and off they went. Thus began the new life of great adventures for Claudius Abraham Dexter. Accompanied by his new partner, the Navigator, he was never again lost, and never again alone. And with the guidance of his new friend and counselor, Claudius found real life, love, and an eternity of friendships.
The End.
May the Holy Spirit be with you and guide you all of your days. Amen.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Chosen and Established
Scripture reference: 1 Chronicles 28:6-7
Throughout the Bible we see proof that those who end up in positions of authority under God are chosen by him, they do not volunteer. God selects those he wishes to serve Him and carry out his plans according to his purpose. It is his wisdom which decides who will do what job for him, and not the wisdom of man. God chose Noah and his family to be the remnant of humanity to survive His disgust with mankind. He chose Abraham and his seed to receive His promise of salvation for mankind. God chose Joseph to save His chosen people from starvation. He then chose Moses to lead His people to the promised land. God went on to chose a variety of judges to guide His chosen people. And then when they requested a King, God chose Saul. When Saul turned away from God, He chose David to lead the people. And now in our reference scripture, God chooses Solomon to be Israel's greatest King, and the builder of His house. In every one of these lives, it is God who choose the man; not the man who choose God.
In Romans 8:30 Paul tells us that God decided before the foundation of the universe whom He would choose, and them he also calls. Once called, God justifies them; and those He justifies he also glorifies. This is born out in the lives of all of those mentioned above. From Noah to Solomon these men were chosen, called, justified and then glorified by God to serve Him according to his plans and purpose. None of these men became great by making their own plans for a purpose of their own determination.
Our reference scripture also tells us that once God has chosen someone for a job, He establishes that person in the position required to accomplish the task. And He will maintain that person in the assigned position as long as the chosen one continues to live by God's commandments and judgments. This fact is made painful clear in the lives of Moses and Saul. Both men lost favor with God by not continuing in following His commandments and judgments. As a result, Moses was not allowed to enter into the promised land. And Saul was given an evil spirit to torment him, and then died in battle along with his son. His kingship was taken from him by God and given to David. It was David, a man after God's own heart, whose kingdom was continued to the last King of the Jews, Jesus. That was David's reward for keeping God's commandments and judgments.
Each Christian is first chosen and then called by God according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) Once the Christian answers the call from God, he is justified by the blood of Jesus, in whom the chosen has faith, which is a gift of the grace of God. In each step, it is God who first choose His servant, and then establishes him through Jesus Christ, for His glory. The advantage we have over the chosen servants of the Old Testament is that we get help in keeping God's commandments and judgments. We get a personal counselor to strengthen and guide us in God's ways. Therefore as long as we continue to live a life led by the Holy Spirit, and do not decide to be driven by the ways of the world and the lusts of the flesh, which are idolatry, we will be established forever in God's kingdom. This is a promise all the lives mentioned above prove. God has made it quite clear that He is always true to His word. And for those who keep God's Word, they are established in His kingdom, sharing in His glory along with Christ Jesus, for all eternity.
The Christian today, having been adopted as a true child of God and brother of Jesus Christ, is a full heir to the kingdom begun long ago with David. As God chose and called David, and then his son, Solomon, and established their kingdom forever, we who are of the chosen and called of God, are established in His kingdom. And, as David and Solomon lived in the glory of God, so shall we share in the inheritance of Christ, which is the glory of God. For the ultimate purpose of choosing and establishing the elect of God is to proclaim to all the world His glory. In this we share with Christ and all those other great servants of God. And with them we shall give praise, honor and glory to God in His presence forever.
May the grace and glory of God be with you always. Amen.
Throughout the Bible we see proof that those who end up in positions of authority under God are chosen by him, they do not volunteer. God selects those he wishes to serve Him and carry out his plans according to his purpose. It is his wisdom which decides who will do what job for him, and not the wisdom of man. God chose Noah and his family to be the remnant of humanity to survive His disgust with mankind. He chose Abraham and his seed to receive His promise of salvation for mankind. God chose Joseph to save His chosen people from starvation. He then chose Moses to lead His people to the promised land. God went on to chose a variety of judges to guide His chosen people. And then when they requested a King, God chose Saul. When Saul turned away from God, He chose David to lead the people. And now in our reference scripture, God chooses Solomon to be Israel's greatest King, and the builder of His house. In every one of these lives, it is God who choose the man; not the man who choose God.
In Romans 8:30 Paul tells us that God decided before the foundation of the universe whom He would choose, and them he also calls. Once called, God justifies them; and those He justifies he also glorifies. This is born out in the lives of all of those mentioned above. From Noah to Solomon these men were chosen, called, justified and then glorified by God to serve Him according to his plans and purpose. None of these men became great by making their own plans for a purpose of their own determination.
Our reference scripture also tells us that once God has chosen someone for a job, He establishes that person in the position required to accomplish the task. And He will maintain that person in the assigned position as long as the chosen one continues to live by God's commandments and judgments. This fact is made painful clear in the lives of Moses and Saul. Both men lost favor with God by not continuing in following His commandments and judgments. As a result, Moses was not allowed to enter into the promised land. And Saul was given an evil spirit to torment him, and then died in battle along with his son. His kingship was taken from him by God and given to David. It was David, a man after God's own heart, whose kingdom was continued to the last King of the Jews, Jesus. That was David's reward for keeping God's commandments and judgments.
Each Christian is first chosen and then called by God according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) Once the Christian answers the call from God, he is justified by the blood of Jesus, in whom the chosen has faith, which is a gift of the grace of God. In each step, it is God who first choose His servant, and then establishes him through Jesus Christ, for His glory. The advantage we have over the chosen servants of the Old Testament is that we get help in keeping God's commandments and judgments. We get a personal counselor to strengthen and guide us in God's ways. Therefore as long as we continue to live a life led by the Holy Spirit, and do not decide to be driven by the ways of the world and the lusts of the flesh, which are idolatry, we will be established forever in God's kingdom. This is a promise all the lives mentioned above prove. God has made it quite clear that He is always true to His word. And for those who keep God's Word, they are established in His kingdom, sharing in His glory along with Christ Jesus, for all eternity.
The Christian today, having been adopted as a true child of God and brother of Jesus Christ, is a full heir to the kingdom begun long ago with David. As God chose and called David, and then his son, Solomon, and established their kingdom forever, we who are of the chosen and called of God, are established in His kingdom. And, as David and Solomon lived in the glory of God, so shall we share in the inheritance of Christ, which is the glory of God. For the ultimate purpose of choosing and establishing the elect of God is to proclaim to all the world His glory. In this we share with Christ and all those other great servants of God. And with them we shall give praise, honor and glory to God in His presence forever.
May the grace and glory of God be with you always. Amen.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
The Loving Neighbor
I awoke in pain, face down in the dust, with a splitting headache. My head hurt so badly that I thought I would be sick. My arms burned with scratches and cuts; my ribs ached; and my legs hurt so much from the knees down that I knew I would not be able to stand. And then came the realization that I was naked. The rocky ground beneath my chest and lower body felt like a bed of broken glass. The heat of the sun felt like a blanket of tiny coals on my back. I slowly pushed my head and chest up on my weak, shaking arms, wretched convulsively, and then fell back on my side. I tried to curl up to hide my nakedness, but every muscle and bit of skin screamed with pain. I could do nothing by lie there, and pray.
It seemed that I lay there for some time on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho when I heard approaching foot steps. I opened my swollen eyes as much as I could, and recognized the garments of a priest. I raised my trembling left arm and appealed to him with my open hand. I saw his contorted face as he gazed down upon me, disgust clearly etched in the furors of his brow. He merely grunted at me, and walked on.
My arm fell back to my battered side and I closed my eyes in pain and sadness. I may have fallen asleep; I am not sure. Then, once again, I heard leather of sandals slapping hard ground. I was barely able to squint through eye lids that seemed unable to open, and recognized a Levite passing me by on the other side of the road. I could only raise my left hand in appeal. He did not even look at me, but kept his chin high and his face set toward his destination.
Wracked with pain and filled with despair I wept as I called out, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? I am a son of your servant Jacob, son of Issac, son of Abraham, to whom you made a promise to bless his seed. I obey thy commandments; I keep your Sabbath; I give of the first fruits of my labors. I, therefore, beseech thee, oh my God, my Father, please send help to thy servant." I turned my face to the dust in supplication, cried a few moments, and then went to sleep.
When I next awoke I was lying on my back, my body covered with someone's traveling cloak, a strong hand cradling my head, and water passing between my parched lips. I choked as the water got caught in my dry throat, and looked up into the eyes of a concerned face. "Take it easy, friend. Drink slowly. You are going to be alright." I instantly recognized the accent, and marveled that a Samaritan, one of those people who care not for Jews, was my savior. I drank a little more water, and then my rescuer gently laid my head down on a soft pillow made from a rolled up garment. Through tired eyes I watched the man as he went to his ass to retrieve some oil and ointment which he used, along with torn pieces of his own clothes, to treat my wounds. Once he had done as much as he could, he helped me to stand upon my shaking legs, and then to sit upon his animal. We then set out for the nearest village. There he summoned the inn keeper to help him get me into a bed, and gave me a little meat and some wine. As I fell asleep in a soft, safe bed, I heard the man tell the inn keeper, "Take care of him. I shall be back this way in a couple of weeks. If you spend more than this in his care, I shall pay you the balance at that time." He then disappeared, and I fell into a healing sleep.
Friends and relatives of mine, having realized that I never reached my destination, came looking for me. Their joy of finding me alive was equaled by their amazement when I told them that it was a Samaritan who had saved my life. Together we gave thanks and praise to God, and marveled at his amazing ways in caring for those who call upon his Holy name. We then thanked the inn keeper for his care, and departed for our home. I never again saw the man who had come to my aid in my hour of distress; I never even knew his name. I only know that he was a Samaritan. Therefore, from that day forward, I consider all Samaritans to by my good neighbors. And I show to them the same love that almighty God shows to me.
May His name be praised and glorified now and forever. Amen.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
The Reliability of God's Love
Scripture reference: Romans 8:32-39
There are many times in the life of a Christian when, in the solitude of honest self-examination, the questions arises, "Have I gotten so far off the right path that God no longer loves me? Have I done so many sinful things that I have fallen out of God's grace?" These moments of doubt about the length and depth of God's grace are really doubts about our faith. And in these moments of despair, we make the mistake of thinking that God is as weak and unreliable as we are. We begin to fear that He will forget about us just at quickly and easily as we forget about Him.
Because this crisis of doubt is neither new nor exclusive to Christians, Paul is aware that an honest man will from time to time recognize his weaknesses and infidelity. He, therefore, seeks to reassure us with a logical argument that God's love for us is always certain; for God's love is not dependent on us. It is as the apostle John tells us in his first epistle," We love him because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19 KJV)
The simple truth of mankind is that we are a calamity waiting for a time and place to happen. Only a dishonest person would not admit to making stupid mistakes motivated by self-interests. Only a pathologically arrogant person would believe that he is always right. Only the most deluded person would never have feelings of inadequacy in the face of life's difficult challenges. Even those who exude confidence and inspire others with their words and deeds have moments of doubt when they question if they have made a wrong turn, and left the security of God's love.
Paul begins with the question, if God gave up His own Son for us, how is it he would withhold anything from us? (Romans 8:32) He then asks who can lay any charge against the elect of God, when it is God himself who has already made them just in His eyes? (Romans 8:33) In addition to that, since Jesus rose from the dead to take his rightful place at His Father right side, he is now there as our Heavenly attorney pleading our case and defending us before God. With that kind of legal representation our case has already been won. (Romans 8:34)
Finally Paul gets to the meat of the matter. Being so loved by God that he "spared not his own Son," now standing at the Father's side defending us, who or what shall separate us from the love of God through Christ Jesus? There is no one and nothing. Not tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword. (Romans 8: 35) Neither height, depth, or any creature (including Satan) "shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:39 KJV)
What Paul does not specifically mention, but implies nonetheless, is that even we cannot create a situation that can separate us from the love of God. For God has already determined to love us with a love which is beyond human comprehension. It is a love given to us when we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8); a love "which passeth knowledge;" (Ephesians 3:19) a love which is from the beginning of time to the end. For God is love; and God is forever.
What a joy, what a comfort, what a peace for those who have accepted the free gift of God's grace received his everlasting love. Though we are weak, He is strong. Though we doubt, He is always certain. Though, like the prodigal son, we leave His house, He is always ready to receive us back home. As long as we are truly repentant of our sins, and demonstrate sincere remorse for our infidelity to the one who loves us beyond all that we can know, our forgiveness, already purchased by Christ, awaits us in our Father's arms.
May the Grace of God, the love of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the peace of the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen.
There are many times in the life of a Christian when, in the solitude of honest self-examination, the questions arises, "Have I gotten so far off the right path that God no longer loves me? Have I done so many sinful things that I have fallen out of God's grace?" These moments of doubt about the length and depth of God's grace are really doubts about our faith. And in these moments of despair, we make the mistake of thinking that God is as weak and unreliable as we are. We begin to fear that He will forget about us just at quickly and easily as we forget about Him.
Because this crisis of doubt is neither new nor exclusive to Christians, Paul is aware that an honest man will from time to time recognize his weaknesses and infidelity. He, therefore, seeks to reassure us with a logical argument that God's love for us is always certain; for God's love is not dependent on us. It is as the apostle John tells us in his first epistle," We love him because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19 KJV)
The simple truth of mankind is that we are a calamity waiting for a time and place to happen. Only a dishonest person would not admit to making stupid mistakes motivated by self-interests. Only a pathologically arrogant person would believe that he is always right. Only the most deluded person would never have feelings of inadequacy in the face of life's difficult challenges. Even those who exude confidence and inspire others with their words and deeds have moments of doubt when they question if they have made a wrong turn, and left the security of God's love.
Paul begins with the question, if God gave up His own Son for us, how is it he would withhold anything from us? (Romans 8:32) He then asks who can lay any charge against the elect of God, when it is God himself who has already made them just in His eyes? (Romans 8:33) In addition to that, since Jesus rose from the dead to take his rightful place at His Father right side, he is now there as our Heavenly attorney pleading our case and defending us before God. With that kind of legal representation our case has already been won. (Romans 8:34)
Finally Paul gets to the meat of the matter. Being so loved by God that he "spared not his own Son," now standing at the Father's side defending us, who or what shall separate us from the love of God through Christ Jesus? There is no one and nothing. Not tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword. (Romans 8: 35) Neither height, depth, or any creature (including Satan) "shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:39 KJV)
What Paul does not specifically mention, but implies nonetheless, is that even we cannot create a situation that can separate us from the love of God. For God has already determined to love us with a love which is beyond human comprehension. It is a love given to us when we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8); a love "which passeth knowledge;" (Ephesians 3:19) a love which is from the beginning of time to the end. For God is love; and God is forever.
What a joy, what a comfort, what a peace for those who have accepted the free gift of God's grace received his everlasting love. Though we are weak, He is strong. Though we doubt, He is always certain. Though, like the prodigal son, we leave His house, He is always ready to receive us back home. As long as we are truly repentant of our sins, and demonstrate sincere remorse for our infidelity to the one who loves us beyond all that we can know, our forgiveness, already purchased by Christ, awaits us in our Father's arms.
May the Grace of God, the love of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the peace of the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Remembering A Friend
As I sit here with his last letter to me on my lap, trying to fully absorb into my lugubrious mind what my broken heart wants to resist, I can remember as it were only last week, the very first day I met him. The sight of his slightly bent frame topped with a somewhat overly large head with its heavily scared bald spot on top might have been both fearsome and grotesque if not for the bright eyes and broad smile which dominated the face. And then there was that voice. At once distracting and captivating in its almost annoying nasal sound and comforting words of love and hope. And although his stature, appearance and speech were distinctly unspectacular, he commanded attention, exuded authoritative confidence, and warmed the heart of the listener with true unconditional compassion. He was a man no one could ignore; always attracting a crowd, and exciting thoughts and emotions, not by his manner of speaking, but by the cosmic force of the words he spoke. For it was clear to those of us whose hearts were touched by the pure water of the life giving message flowing from the sacred spring within his soul that he conveyed to mortal man the truths of God. The Spirit living in him communicating with out spirits; transforming us from the lifeless existence of our carnal beings into new creatures filled with the exuberant and eternal energy of the Creator himself. So changed in every aspect of heart, mind, and soul, we saw not only life in a different way, but beheld our new friend and teacher in a different light. No longer simply uncommon and unattractive, but spectacular and beautiful. For we saw him, not with the mind of carnal man, but through the eye of the Spirit which now dwells inside us. The Spirit of the living God, glorified by his risen Son. This is how I now and shall always remember my friend, Paul of Tarsus, Apostle of Jesus Christ.
It was not long after my sixteenth birthday, and the Greek ceremony of leaving the life of a boy and entering into the world of men, that Paul arrived in my hometown of Lystra. My mother, being a Jew, had begun to teach me the history of the children of Abraham once my father had died, and she had been freed from conforming to his ways. As a result of the freedom of adulthood combined with an interest in my mother's ancestral religion, I began to associate with men who spoke, not only of the God of Abraham, but also of the promised Messiah. I learned from them that this Savior had supposedly arrived in Jerusalem, signifying that God's kingdom had come to Earth. It was at one of our weekly meetings that Paul and his companion first appeared, enlightening us with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul told us that, indeed, the Messiah, the Savior, the Son of God had been born, persecuted, crucified unto death, buried, and then arose to life, and ascended into Heaven. In this way the promises made by God to Abraham, and the prophecies declared by Isaiah had been fulfilled. And the name of this man was Jesus of Nazareth. Born of a virgin in the city of David, Bethlehem, and baptized by the water of John the Baptist and by the Holy Spirit of God, Jesus was both the son of Man and the Son of God; come to give all men, Jews and Greeks, a path to righteousness and eternal life with God. That way, Paul explained, was through faith, itself a gift from God, in Jesus as the Christ, born, crucified, and risen from the dead for the propitiation of sins. By the gift of faith in Christ Jesus alone, and not by any works of Jewish Law, could all men, Jews and Greeks, enter into the Kingdom of God.
I cannot fully explain in the words of ordinary man how Paul's message touched my heart more than my mind. I can only testify that I believed what he was saying. And I do not mean I thought what he was saying to be true; for it was not of my mind but of my soul, my very being, that I felt my spirit stir and convict me in my heart. It was then, at that moment, that I felt what I later understood to be the Holy Spirit wash over me from head to toe with a strange but wonderful tingling stirring every nerve and muscle in my young body. And, incredibly and most wondrously, I felt His Spirit breath into my nostrils the the breath of life. Suddenly, as if emerging from deep sleep, I felt truly alive. I had been re-born.
I know now, as my friend Paul knew, that my life is not my own, but belongs to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And I know that my days in this world are but a brief term of service in His great plan before receiving an eternal reward of life in His kingdom. Therefore, rather than mourning the passing of my teacher and spiritual father, I rejoice and praise God for being allowed the great privilege of knowing him. And I look forward to the day when together we shall in Heaven, as we did on Earth, give all praise, honor and glory to Almighty God in Christ Jesus. I have no doubt that upon falling into the final sleep in this world, I shall awake in the next to be greeted by my friend Paul and my brother Jesus with a smile and the words, "Welcome home, brother Timothy. Our Father will be pleased to receive you."
May His Spirit be with you. Amen.
It was not long after my sixteenth birthday, and the Greek ceremony of leaving the life of a boy and entering into the world of men, that Paul arrived in my hometown of Lystra. My mother, being a Jew, had begun to teach me the history of the children of Abraham once my father had died, and she had been freed from conforming to his ways. As a result of the freedom of adulthood combined with an interest in my mother's ancestral religion, I began to associate with men who spoke, not only of the God of Abraham, but also of the promised Messiah. I learned from them that this Savior had supposedly arrived in Jerusalem, signifying that God's kingdom had come to Earth. It was at one of our weekly meetings that Paul and his companion first appeared, enlightening us with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul told us that, indeed, the Messiah, the Savior, the Son of God had been born, persecuted, crucified unto death, buried, and then arose to life, and ascended into Heaven. In this way the promises made by God to Abraham, and the prophecies declared by Isaiah had been fulfilled. And the name of this man was Jesus of Nazareth. Born of a virgin in the city of David, Bethlehem, and baptized by the water of John the Baptist and by the Holy Spirit of God, Jesus was both the son of Man and the Son of God; come to give all men, Jews and Greeks, a path to righteousness and eternal life with God. That way, Paul explained, was through faith, itself a gift from God, in Jesus as the Christ, born, crucified, and risen from the dead for the propitiation of sins. By the gift of faith in Christ Jesus alone, and not by any works of Jewish Law, could all men, Jews and Greeks, enter into the Kingdom of God.
I cannot fully explain in the words of ordinary man how Paul's message touched my heart more than my mind. I can only testify that I believed what he was saying. And I do not mean I thought what he was saying to be true; for it was not of my mind but of my soul, my very being, that I felt my spirit stir and convict me in my heart. It was then, at that moment, that I felt what I later understood to be the Holy Spirit wash over me from head to toe with a strange but wonderful tingling stirring every nerve and muscle in my young body. And, incredibly and most wondrously, I felt His Spirit breath into my nostrils the the breath of life. Suddenly, as if emerging from deep sleep, I felt truly alive. I had been re-born.
I know now, as my friend Paul knew, that my life is not my own, but belongs to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And I know that my days in this world are but a brief term of service in His great plan before receiving an eternal reward of life in His kingdom. Therefore, rather than mourning the passing of my teacher and spiritual father, I rejoice and praise God for being allowed the great privilege of knowing him. And I look forward to the day when together we shall in Heaven, as we did on Earth, give all praise, honor and glory to Almighty God in Christ Jesus. I have no doubt that upon falling into the final sleep in this world, I shall awake in the next to be greeted by my friend Paul and my brother Jesus with a smile and the words, "Welcome home, brother Timothy. Our Father will be pleased to receive you."
May His Spirit be with you. Amen.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Do All Things Really Work Together for Good?
Reference scripture: Romans 8:28
Perhaps the most difficult aspect of real life for preachers, theologians, and ordinary Christians to deal with is tragedy. Whether it is some horrific mass tragedy such as the events of World War 2 and the wholesale slaughter of six-million Jews, or the personal tragedy of the sudden death of a child. When really bad things occur we are faced with the question, if "all things work together for good to them that love God," why did this awful thing happen? The problem is that the question itself displays a misunderstanding of, not only that particular verse of scripture, but of the totality of Pauline Theology.
I began thinking about this verse in connection with two recent news stories. One dealt with a media and political controversy over the preaching of Pastor John Hagee. The other was the report of a tragic accident in the family of the Christian singer Stephen Curtis Chapman. In the first case Pastor Hagee was trying to answer the question, how could a loving God allow the holocaust to happen; and how could those events work together for good? In the second case, the family, friends, and ordinary people were asking, how can the death of a child be included in all things working together for good? These are difficult question emotionally and intellectually. However, for Paul, the answer was quite simple. The grace of God.
At the very core of Romans 8:28, the entire letter to the Romans, and Paul's theology and world view is the grace of God revealed to mankind through the person of Christ Jesus. Paul teaches that we are saved by faith, and that is a gift of God through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. And it is this faith that gives believers the assurance that God, who "so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son," (John 3:16) will make the final outcome of all things good for "them that love God." For by faith through our Lord Jesus Christ we have full access to the grace of God which gives us hope (confident expectation) in good times and tribulations; knowing that tribulation produces cheerful endurance; and that produces trustiness; and that produces confidence. By faith in God through Christ Jesus we can be confident then, that God who loves us so much that he sacrificed his son to pay the debt of our sins will, in the end, bless us beyond all our expectations. (Ephesians 3:20)
The important thing to remember is that it is all the events in the life of a believer that work together to produce confident expectation, cheerful endurance, and trust and confidence in God to include us in His glory as a part of His kingdom as full heirs with Christ Jesus in the final day. It is not any one event, any one occurrence, or any one deed that demonstrates God's grace. It is the totality of the events of our life, and how we demonstrate our faith in God during those events which work together to produce the great good at the end of life. It is the final reward of spending eternity in peace with our Heavenly Father and our adopted brother Jesus Christ.
We should also remember that bad events never means that we have lost God's love, or that he has temporarily suspended His love for us. This is the mistake about God exhibited in the question, "Why, if God loves me and knows I love Him, did He let this awful thing happen?" That question betrays a suspicion that perhaps God does not really love us; or He thinks we do not love Him enough. This is simply wrong thinking, and so a lack of understanding of God's grace.
Paul deals with this question in Romans 8:38-39. When he says that he is persuaded that nothing can separate us from the love of God, " which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, he is saying that he believes that nothing that happens in life means we have somehow been cut off from God's love for us. For Paul is cheerfully confident that the God who sacrificed His Son out of love for man never suspends His love for those who have accepted His free gift of salvation which come by faith in Christ Jesus. The fact that we face tribulations does not, therefore, mean that God has stopped loving us. The fact that some horrific event occurs does not indicate that we have been separated from the love of God. Paul is certain, and seeks to assure us, that at no time are we separated from God's love for us. And in the end, those whose faith endures no matter what they experience, will receive a reward far greater than anything mortal man could every achieve.
Therefore, when bad things happen, we should not ask why God did it or let it happen. We should praise God that He has given us the gift of his grace to have faith in Him through Christ Jesus; so that we may stand firm in the fullness of that grace, with confidence that God will fulfill His promise to us. And in the end, all things will work together for our good; not because we love God, but because He loved us first.
May the grace of God, the love of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the peace of the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen.
Perhaps the most difficult aspect of real life for preachers, theologians, and ordinary Christians to deal with is tragedy. Whether it is some horrific mass tragedy such as the events of World War 2 and the wholesale slaughter of six-million Jews, or the personal tragedy of the sudden death of a child. When really bad things occur we are faced with the question, if "all things work together for good to them that love God," why did this awful thing happen? The problem is that the question itself displays a misunderstanding of, not only that particular verse of scripture, but of the totality of Pauline Theology.
I began thinking about this verse in connection with two recent news stories. One dealt with a media and political controversy over the preaching of Pastor John Hagee. The other was the report of a tragic accident in the family of the Christian singer Stephen Curtis Chapman. In the first case Pastor Hagee was trying to answer the question, how could a loving God allow the holocaust to happen; and how could those events work together for good? In the second case, the family, friends, and ordinary people were asking, how can the death of a child be included in all things working together for good? These are difficult question emotionally and intellectually. However, for Paul, the answer was quite simple. The grace of God.
At the very core of Romans 8:28, the entire letter to the Romans, and Paul's theology and world view is the grace of God revealed to mankind through the person of Christ Jesus. Paul teaches that we are saved by faith, and that is a gift of God through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. And it is this faith that gives believers the assurance that God, who "so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son," (John 3:16) will make the final outcome of all things good for "them that love God." For by faith through our Lord Jesus Christ we have full access to the grace of God which gives us hope (confident expectation) in good times and tribulations; knowing that tribulation produces cheerful endurance; and that produces trustiness; and that produces confidence. By faith in God through Christ Jesus we can be confident then, that God who loves us so much that he sacrificed his son to pay the debt of our sins will, in the end, bless us beyond all our expectations. (Ephesians 3:20)
The important thing to remember is that it is all the events in the life of a believer that work together to produce confident expectation, cheerful endurance, and trust and confidence in God to include us in His glory as a part of His kingdom as full heirs with Christ Jesus in the final day. It is not any one event, any one occurrence, or any one deed that demonstrates God's grace. It is the totality of the events of our life, and how we demonstrate our faith in God during those events which work together to produce the great good at the end of life. It is the final reward of spending eternity in peace with our Heavenly Father and our adopted brother Jesus Christ.
We should also remember that bad events never means that we have lost God's love, or that he has temporarily suspended His love for us. This is the mistake about God exhibited in the question, "Why, if God loves me and knows I love Him, did He let this awful thing happen?" That question betrays a suspicion that perhaps God does not really love us; or He thinks we do not love Him enough. This is simply wrong thinking, and so a lack of understanding of God's grace.
Paul deals with this question in Romans 8:38-39. When he says that he is persuaded that nothing can separate us from the love of God, " which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, he is saying that he believes that nothing that happens in life means we have somehow been cut off from God's love for us. For Paul is cheerfully confident that the God who sacrificed His Son out of love for man never suspends His love for those who have accepted His free gift of salvation which come by faith in Christ Jesus. The fact that we face tribulations does not, therefore, mean that God has stopped loving us. The fact that some horrific event occurs does not indicate that we have been separated from the love of God. Paul is certain, and seeks to assure us, that at no time are we separated from God's love for us. And in the end, those whose faith endures no matter what they experience, will receive a reward far greater than anything mortal man could every achieve.
Therefore, when bad things happen, we should not ask why God did it or let it happen. We should praise God that He has given us the gift of his grace to have faith in Him through Christ Jesus; so that we may stand firm in the fullness of that grace, with confidence that God will fulfill His promise to us. And in the end, all things will work together for our good; not because we love God, but because He loved us first.
May the grace of God, the love of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the peace of the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Adventure
A Memorial Day Special
Today too many people look around and, wringing their hands, say, "So many problems; how are we going to solve all of these problems?" They need to be reminded that life is not a series of problems to be solved, but a series of adventures. And what are we as Americans if not lovers of adventure. From that first adventure of crossing the Atlantic in a tiny ship called the Mayflower, to the adventures of crossing ragging rivers, vast plains, and towering mountains to settle this land; and then on to the greatest adventure of them all, putting a man on the Moon, we have proven ourselves to be a people who do not look at a set of challenges and say, "Oh, so many problems;" but instead say, "An adventure?! Yeeha, let's go!"
So now we face some challenging adventures. The adventure of maintaining our security, culture, and way of life so that future generations can have the same opportunities the founding Fathers had to be all that God intended them to be. The adventure of creating a population of healthy citizens who rely on a healthy diet, a healthy lifestyle, and a healthy mind-set, rather than on doctors and pharmaceuticals. And the adventure of creating a well educated population which has more than just an understanding of math and science, but also understands ethics and aesthetics, so that the people will know what is truly good and beautiful in life.
These are challenging adventure filled with many difficulties. But should any among us say, "Can we really do all these things," let them remember that we are the ones who made it through the Donner Pass, built the Panama Canal, and put men on the Moon. We are Americans; there is nothing we cannot do.
So, as we face the great adventures before us, may the God of our forefathers abide with us and guide us. May he armor us with courage, cloak us with compassion, endow us with wisdom, and lead us always in His peace.
Happy Memorial Day!
Today too many people look around and, wringing their hands, say, "So many problems; how are we going to solve all of these problems?" They need to be reminded that life is not a series of problems to be solved, but a series of adventures. And what are we as Americans if not lovers of adventure. From that first adventure of crossing the Atlantic in a tiny ship called the Mayflower, to the adventures of crossing ragging rivers, vast plains, and towering mountains to settle this land; and then on to the greatest adventure of them all, putting a man on the Moon, we have proven ourselves to be a people who do not look at a set of challenges and say, "Oh, so many problems;" but instead say, "An adventure?! Yeeha, let's go!"
So now we face some challenging adventures. The adventure of maintaining our security, culture, and way of life so that future generations can have the same opportunities the founding Fathers had to be all that God intended them to be. The adventure of creating a population of healthy citizens who rely on a healthy diet, a healthy lifestyle, and a healthy mind-set, rather than on doctors and pharmaceuticals. And the adventure of creating a well educated population which has more than just an understanding of math and science, but also understands ethics and aesthetics, so that the people will know what is truly good and beautiful in life.
These are challenging adventure filled with many difficulties. But should any among us say, "Can we really do all these things," let them remember that we are the ones who made it through the Donner Pass, built the Panama Canal, and put men on the Moon. We are Americans; there is nothing we cannot do.
So, as we face the great adventures before us, may the God of our forefathers abide with us and guide us. May he armor us with courage, cloak us with compassion, endow us with wisdom, and lead us always in His peace.
Happy Memorial Day!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
The Love of God - Food for a Hungry Heart
Scripture reference: 1 John 4:7-12
Recently I had the great pleasure of hearing the testimony of a fifteen year old boy at the church I am a member of. He revealed that he came from a home where, for whatever reason, he did not feel a great deal of love. For that reason, he had a hunger for love in his heart. It was the thing missing from his life. It was the thing he was seeking, without really knowing that was the source of his emptiness. By the grace of God he was led to our young congregation when it was just a house church meeting in the pastor's home. There this young man found what his heart had been seeking. He was immediately fed the love of God. It was in that way this young man was led to Christ.
In verse 8 of our reference scripture we are told that "God is love." The way the old Greek language works is different from modern American English. Therefore this simple phrase actually convey a deeper revelation of how God lives, and how we are to live. The statement "God is love" means that God's nature, the core of His being which motivates all of his behavior, is love. God is a loving being who does everything he does out of love. He creates out of love. He gives life out of love. He rules by love. He judges by love. A person is known by their nature as revealed by their actions. In this way, God is known and His nature is revealed by His love.
It should not be a mystery to any one that all humans need love. After all, if we are created in the image of God, whose very nature is love, then it follows that our nature would need love to be complete. And when that element is missing, we feel incomplete, and seek something to makes us feel whole. Some seek power; some seek wealth; some seek sex; some seek nothing and submerge into isolation and loneliness. But all men need love to be complete, or perfect, as the Bible states it. And that perfection comes from knowing God. For when we know God, we know that perfect love our nature needs to be whole and complete.
Because God loves us, He wants us to be complete, to be the perfect being He intended us to be when He originally created Adam. That is why Jesus commanded us to love. We are to love each other; we are to love our neighbors; we are to love our enemies; we are to love God. Living in love and doing every thing we do in love is the only way we can conform our nature to that of God and become complete. It is the only way to perfection. To conform to the love of God as revealed to us and demonstrated to us by God's only Son, Christ Jesus.
Jesus told Peter that if he loved Jesus he should feed His sheep. (John 21:15) In Matthew 25:35 Jesus indicates that those He will consider among the righteous are the ones who fed the hungry. This admonition should not be interpreted only in a physical sense. For Jesus himself tells us that man does not live by bread alone. (Matthew 4:4) We are also to feed men's natural heart hunger for love; understanding that our fellow men can never be whole and complete without that love which comes from God through Christ Jesus. And it is our duty to distribute that life giving food.
As God is Spirit and man is mortal or carnal, we cannot truly experience and share God's love unless we have the Spirit of God in us. This is why Jesus told the apostles that He would ask His Father to send the Holy Spirit to us. And it is why everyone who wants to have his hunger for love fed, must be reborn and baptized with the Holy Spirit. In our mortal nature, we cannot know God. Therefore we cannot receive His life giving love, and share it with others. It is only by asking Jesus to take away our mortal life and give us the life He came to provide us with that we can then know God, and be filled with His love through His Holy Spirit.
Love is the food of the heart. It is necessary for real life. It is God's love that provides abundant life; eternal life. It is God's love that all men need to be complete and whole. Love is the element of God's nature which, when it becomes part of our nature, makes us one with God. It is the element by which God creates and gives life. It makes those who are born again new creations, and empowers them to call the dead to life. God's love is the source of all life. Without it, there is no real life; only dead existence.
Let us live a life conformed to God, having His love as our nature. Let us be motivated in everything we do by the love of God as revealed to us through Christ Jesus. In this way we become instruments of His creating, life giving power. The power of God's love.
May the love of God live in your heart and guide your ways. Amen.
Recently I had the great pleasure of hearing the testimony of a fifteen year old boy at the church I am a member of. He revealed that he came from a home where, for whatever reason, he did not feel a great deal of love. For that reason, he had a hunger for love in his heart. It was the thing missing from his life. It was the thing he was seeking, without really knowing that was the source of his emptiness. By the grace of God he was led to our young congregation when it was just a house church meeting in the pastor's home. There this young man found what his heart had been seeking. He was immediately fed the love of God. It was in that way this young man was led to Christ.
In verse 8 of our reference scripture we are told that "God is love." The way the old Greek language works is different from modern American English. Therefore this simple phrase actually convey a deeper revelation of how God lives, and how we are to live. The statement "God is love" means that God's nature, the core of His being which motivates all of his behavior, is love. God is a loving being who does everything he does out of love. He creates out of love. He gives life out of love. He rules by love. He judges by love. A person is known by their nature as revealed by their actions. In this way, God is known and His nature is revealed by His love.
It should not be a mystery to any one that all humans need love. After all, if we are created in the image of God, whose very nature is love, then it follows that our nature would need love to be complete. And when that element is missing, we feel incomplete, and seek something to makes us feel whole. Some seek power; some seek wealth; some seek sex; some seek nothing and submerge into isolation and loneliness. But all men need love to be complete, or perfect, as the Bible states it. And that perfection comes from knowing God. For when we know God, we know that perfect love our nature needs to be whole and complete.
Because God loves us, He wants us to be complete, to be the perfect being He intended us to be when He originally created Adam. That is why Jesus commanded us to love. We are to love each other; we are to love our neighbors; we are to love our enemies; we are to love God. Living in love and doing every thing we do in love is the only way we can conform our nature to that of God and become complete. It is the only way to perfection. To conform to the love of God as revealed to us and demonstrated to us by God's only Son, Christ Jesus.
Jesus told Peter that if he loved Jesus he should feed His sheep. (John 21:15) In Matthew 25:35 Jesus indicates that those He will consider among the righteous are the ones who fed the hungry. This admonition should not be interpreted only in a physical sense. For Jesus himself tells us that man does not live by bread alone. (Matthew 4:4) We are also to feed men's natural heart hunger for love; understanding that our fellow men can never be whole and complete without that love which comes from God through Christ Jesus. And it is our duty to distribute that life giving food.
As God is Spirit and man is mortal or carnal, we cannot truly experience and share God's love unless we have the Spirit of God in us. This is why Jesus told the apostles that He would ask His Father to send the Holy Spirit to us. And it is why everyone who wants to have his hunger for love fed, must be reborn and baptized with the Holy Spirit. In our mortal nature, we cannot know God. Therefore we cannot receive His life giving love, and share it with others. It is only by asking Jesus to take away our mortal life and give us the life He came to provide us with that we can then know God, and be filled with His love through His Holy Spirit.
Love is the food of the heart. It is necessary for real life. It is God's love that provides abundant life; eternal life. It is God's love that all men need to be complete and whole. Love is the element of God's nature which, when it becomes part of our nature, makes us one with God. It is the element by which God creates and gives life. It makes those who are born again new creations, and empowers them to call the dead to life. God's love is the source of all life. Without it, there is no real life; only dead existence.
Let us live a life conformed to God, having His love as our nature. Let us be motivated in everything we do by the love of God as revealed to us through Christ Jesus. In this way we become instruments of His creating, life giving power. The power of God's love.
May the love of God live in your heart and guide your ways. Amen.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Obedience, Not Sacrifice
Scripture reference: 1 Samuel 15:22
Many Christians believe the way to please God is to give up or sacrifice certain things in their lives. The idea is that giving up, refraining from, or sacrificing certain activities or elements of life shows one's devotion and obedience to God. However, this scripture states specifically that God does not equate sacrifice with obedience. What God considers obedience is doing exactly what He says to do; not coming up with things to not do as a way of showing obedience. And God does not buy any worldly reasoning that our ideas of showing our devotion to God should be as acceptable to Him and obeying His commands.
Let us observe what the Lord God Almighty tells us through His prophet, Isaiah. "I am sick of your sacrifices. Don't bring me any more of them. ... Who wants your sacrifices when you have no sorrow for your sins? ... Your holy celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath, and your special days for fasting - even your most pious meetings - all are frauds! I want nothing more to do with them. I hate them all; I can't stand the sight of them." (Isaiah 1:11-14 TLB)
In this passage God gets to the heart of His real objective. He wants sincere contrite hearts truly repentant of our sins. He wants to see that we are fully aware of how our sinful behavior has hurt Him, and are filled with sorrow because of that knowledge. In short, God, who looks into a man's heart, wants to know that we really love Him so much that we hurt in our heart when we do not do as He commands us. Simply performing certain rituals, like going to church and saying grace before a meal, and not doing certain things, like drinking alcohol or dancing, does not meet with God's approval. It does not show Him that we are sorrowful for our disobedience to Him; and it does not show that we are following His commands.
Now the question arises, just what does God command us to do? How can we show our obedience to Him? The answers to these questions can be found quite easily in the scriptures. All we need to do is turn to the teachings of Jesus as presented in the gospels. We need look no further than the words of Christ while he was among us.
When can start with the Sermon on the Mount as recorded in Matthew chapters 5 through 7. In the beginning of that great sermon Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the Earth. What does that mean? Well, salt was and is still used to cure and preserve meat. A modern cured and smoked ham has a salty taste because it is first soak for several days in a salt water solution, and then smoked. Salting meat and fish to preserve it is still done all over the world today. So Jesus is telling us that we are to be the element in the which world cures and preserves the souls of men. And if we do not do that, then we are useless, and shall be cast out of the kingdom of God.
Next Jesus tells us that we are to be a light in the world. We are to be a transmitter of the light of God's glory. His light is to shine through us to all the world, so that those who are living in the darkness of not knowing God may find their way into his redeeming light. And how do we do this? By our deeds; by the way we live every day life. It is by always having a kind word for everyone we encounter; by offering a helping hand whenever the opportunity arises; by comforting sorrow, and nursing the sick; by feeding the hungry and welcoming the stranger. In these ways we are obeying God's commands. This is a true demonstration of our heart felt devotion to Him. It is in these ways that we offer a worship to God which he finds pleasing and acceptable.
The most clear set of commands from God concerning our behavior in regular, daily life, and a sign of our true devotion to and worship of God, can be found in Matthew 25:334-40. In this passage Jesus tells us exactly what is expected of us. We are to feed the hungry, give drink to those who thirst, care for the sick, and visit the imprisoned. In these ways Jesus says we are caring for Him. It is those who obey these simple instructions Christ calls righteous.
It should be noted what Jesus does not say. He does not say that we are to perform any rituals, observe any specials days, dress a certain way, listen to a certain type of music, or forbid certain activities. And the reason should be obvious. In feeding others, quenching the thirst of others, caring for others, and visiting others in distress, we are putting others first. We are putting the needs of others before our own wants and concerns. This is the central theme of all of the teachings of Jesus. For by putting those whom God loves first in our life, we are putting God first in our life. Conversely, when we make rituals and rules that please us and make us feel religious the most important elements in our life, we are putting ourself first. We are putting our need to feel pious in the center of our life; and that is God's place. He wants to be in the center of our life, because He has made us first in His life. We are His central focus; therefore, God should always be the central focus of our life. And we make Him the central focus of life by following the few simple commands He has given us through our Savior Christ Jesus.
Paul admonishes us to be as Christ. He tells us to remember that Jesus willingly gave up all the privileges of being the Son of God to serve the hungry, thirsty, sick, and imprisoned. We, therefore, are to follow Christ's example, and do as He did. Paul tells us that doing so is our true worship of God through Christ. By doing as Jesus instructed in Matthew 25:34-40 we are obeying God's commands and giving Him the worship and glory He is due. This is the sign of true obedience.
May the grace of God, the love of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the peace of the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen.
Many Christians believe the way to please God is to give up or sacrifice certain things in their lives. The idea is that giving up, refraining from, or sacrificing certain activities or elements of life shows one's devotion and obedience to God. However, this scripture states specifically that God does not equate sacrifice with obedience. What God considers obedience is doing exactly what He says to do; not coming up with things to not do as a way of showing obedience. And God does not buy any worldly reasoning that our ideas of showing our devotion to God should be as acceptable to Him and obeying His commands.
Let us observe what the Lord God Almighty tells us through His prophet, Isaiah. "I am sick of your sacrifices. Don't bring me any more of them. ... Who wants your sacrifices when you have no sorrow for your sins? ... Your holy celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath, and your special days for fasting - even your most pious meetings - all are frauds! I want nothing more to do with them. I hate them all; I can't stand the sight of them." (Isaiah 1:11-14 TLB)
In this passage God gets to the heart of His real objective. He wants sincere contrite hearts truly repentant of our sins. He wants to see that we are fully aware of how our sinful behavior has hurt Him, and are filled with sorrow because of that knowledge. In short, God, who looks into a man's heart, wants to know that we really love Him so much that we hurt in our heart when we do not do as He commands us. Simply performing certain rituals, like going to church and saying grace before a meal, and not doing certain things, like drinking alcohol or dancing, does not meet with God's approval. It does not show Him that we are sorrowful for our disobedience to Him; and it does not show that we are following His commands.
Now the question arises, just what does God command us to do? How can we show our obedience to Him? The answers to these questions can be found quite easily in the scriptures. All we need to do is turn to the teachings of Jesus as presented in the gospels. We need look no further than the words of Christ while he was among us.
When can start with the Sermon on the Mount as recorded in Matthew chapters 5 through 7. In the beginning of that great sermon Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the Earth. What does that mean? Well, salt was and is still used to cure and preserve meat. A modern cured and smoked ham has a salty taste because it is first soak for several days in a salt water solution, and then smoked. Salting meat and fish to preserve it is still done all over the world today. So Jesus is telling us that we are to be the element in the which world cures and preserves the souls of men. And if we do not do that, then we are useless, and shall be cast out of the kingdom of God.
Next Jesus tells us that we are to be a light in the world. We are to be a transmitter of the light of God's glory. His light is to shine through us to all the world, so that those who are living in the darkness of not knowing God may find their way into his redeeming light. And how do we do this? By our deeds; by the way we live every day life. It is by always having a kind word for everyone we encounter; by offering a helping hand whenever the opportunity arises; by comforting sorrow, and nursing the sick; by feeding the hungry and welcoming the stranger. In these ways we are obeying God's commands. This is a true demonstration of our heart felt devotion to Him. It is in these ways that we offer a worship to God which he finds pleasing and acceptable.
The most clear set of commands from God concerning our behavior in regular, daily life, and a sign of our true devotion to and worship of God, can be found in Matthew 25:334-40. In this passage Jesus tells us exactly what is expected of us. We are to feed the hungry, give drink to those who thirst, care for the sick, and visit the imprisoned. In these ways Jesus says we are caring for Him. It is those who obey these simple instructions Christ calls righteous.
It should be noted what Jesus does not say. He does not say that we are to perform any rituals, observe any specials days, dress a certain way, listen to a certain type of music, or forbid certain activities. And the reason should be obvious. In feeding others, quenching the thirst of others, caring for others, and visiting others in distress, we are putting others first. We are putting the needs of others before our own wants and concerns. This is the central theme of all of the teachings of Jesus. For by putting those whom God loves first in our life, we are putting God first in our life. Conversely, when we make rituals and rules that please us and make us feel religious the most important elements in our life, we are putting ourself first. We are putting our need to feel pious in the center of our life; and that is God's place. He wants to be in the center of our life, because He has made us first in His life. We are His central focus; therefore, God should always be the central focus of our life. And we make Him the central focus of life by following the few simple commands He has given us through our Savior Christ Jesus.
Paul admonishes us to be as Christ. He tells us to remember that Jesus willingly gave up all the privileges of being the Son of God to serve the hungry, thirsty, sick, and imprisoned. We, therefore, are to follow Christ's example, and do as He did. Paul tells us that doing so is our true worship of God through Christ. By doing as Jesus instructed in Matthew 25:34-40 we are obeying God's commands and giving Him the worship and glory He is due. This is the sign of true obedience.
May the grace of God, the love of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the peace of the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
God Brings Life Out of Death
Scripture reference: Ezekiel 37:1-14
Although this scripture refers directly to God restoring Old Covenant Israel, it is an allegory of God filling the born again Christian with His Holy Spirit, having brought the spiritually dead back to life through the savior Christ Jesus. It tells us clearly and plainly that, no matter how long a person has been dead in spirit, even long enough to make a person nothing more than a bag of dried bones, His Spirit can restore life to the vigor of a great army.
This scripture can also been seen as a sign that God can and will raise up a wayward Church; restoring it to real Christian life, by pouring upon it His Holy Spirit. This is something that is surely needed today; and something that should give all who are concerned for the modern Church hope. For it could be said that many of the groups around the United States called churches are nothing more than collections of dried, old bones. Lifeless and motionless, they sit disconnected from one another in what should be an active field of battle against the enemy. Christian in name only, there is no sign of the life of the risen Christ; no carrying of his teachings to all the world; no feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting those in prison, caring for the sick, comforting the sorrowful, or teaching the things which Jesus taught. Instead there is political action preaching against abortion and gay rights, or secular guru teachings about having a good marriage or an organized life, or prosperity preaching about how to live a materially rich life style. All of which is popular with those who are worldly wise, but have nothing of the life of Christ in them. The churches who engage in such socially relevant preaching are as spiritually dead as a field of dried old bones.
For those who wring their hands and bemoan this condition of the modern Church, this passage of scripture brings hope and assurance. It tells us that not only can God restore life to his dead Church, He will. He will call leaders to whom He gives his Word to proclaim life among the dead. And He will pour out His Spirit on currently dead churches, bringing them back to life. And not a passive life; but an active life of vigorous service to the living Lord, fighting His battles and displaying His greatness and glory. God will use those who will commit themselves to Him just as He used Ezekiel to proclaim His message of promise to a beat down and scattered Israel. God will call His Church to life, and empower it to go forth into the world and accomplish His mission.
If you have been discouraged and depressed over the current condition of the American Church, cheer up. God has not and will not forget and forsake His Church. He will call leaders just as He called Ezekiel. And He will pour out His Holy Spirit upon the dead dried bones of local congregations. God will give new life to old churches that have been languishing in secular guruism and prosperity preaching. He will raise up His people, those called according to His purpose, and fill them with His Spirit, that they might go forth and do His work. They will teach what Jesus taught; they will live the way the Acts 2 Church lived; they will be the true living body of Christ.
We can all be a part of this re-birth of the Church in America. All that is needed is for each of us to follow the example of the prophet Isaiah as recorded in Isaiah 6:8: "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me." Let us each let the Lord know that we are ready to fill Ezekiel's role, and call dried bones to life.
May the God of new life be with you. Amen.
Although this scripture refers directly to God restoring Old Covenant Israel, it is an allegory of God filling the born again Christian with His Holy Spirit, having brought the spiritually dead back to life through the savior Christ Jesus. It tells us clearly and plainly that, no matter how long a person has been dead in spirit, even long enough to make a person nothing more than a bag of dried bones, His Spirit can restore life to the vigor of a great army.
This scripture can also been seen as a sign that God can and will raise up a wayward Church; restoring it to real Christian life, by pouring upon it His Holy Spirit. This is something that is surely needed today; and something that should give all who are concerned for the modern Church hope. For it could be said that many of the groups around the United States called churches are nothing more than collections of dried, old bones. Lifeless and motionless, they sit disconnected from one another in what should be an active field of battle against the enemy. Christian in name only, there is no sign of the life of the risen Christ; no carrying of his teachings to all the world; no feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting those in prison, caring for the sick, comforting the sorrowful, or teaching the things which Jesus taught. Instead there is political action preaching against abortion and gay rights, or secular guru teachings about having a good marriage or an organized life, or prosperity preaching about how to live a materially rich life style. All of which is popular with those who are worldly wise, but have nothing of the life of Christ in them. The churches who engage in such socially relevant preaching are as spiritually dead as a field of dried old bones.
For those who wring their hands and bemoan this condition of the modern Church, this passage of scripture brings hope and assurance. It tells us that not only can God restore life to his dead Church, He will. He will call leaders to whom He gives his Word to proclaim life among the dead. And He will pour out His Spirit on currently dead churches, bringing them back to life. And not a passive life; but an active life of vigorous service to the living Lord, fighting His battles and displaying His greatness and glory. God will use those who will commit themselves to Him just as He used Ezekiel to proclaim His message of promise to a beat down and scattered Israel. God will call His Church to life, and empower it to go forth into the world and accomplish His mission.
If you have been discouraged and depressed over the current condition of the American Church, cheer up. God has not and will not forget and forsake His Church. He will call leaders just as He called Ezekiel. And He will pour out His Holy Spirit upon the dead dried bones of local congregations. God will give new life to old churches that have been languishing in secular guruism and prosperity preaching. He will raise up His people, those called according to His purpose, and fill them with His Spirit, that they might go forth and do His work. They will teach what Jesus taught; they will live the way the Acts 2 Church lived; they will be the true living body of Christ.
We can all be a part of this re-birth of the Church in America. All that is needed is for each of us to follow the example of the prophet Isaiah as recorded in Isaiah 6:8: "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me." Let us each let the Lord know that we are ready to fill Ezekiel's role, and call dried bones to life.
May the God of new life be with you. Amen.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
All Things To the Glory of God
Scripture reference: 1 Corinthians 10:31
As the apostle Paul was teaching the young church how to live the Christian life, he emphasized that worship was not a ritualistic act performed in a certain place at a certain time, but was a matter of performing all the acts of normal life in a manner which gives praise, thanks, and glory to God. This is a reflection and extension of what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well when he told her, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth." He was indicating to the woman (and us) that, even though man has been worshiping God through rituals, such as sacrifices, the day was at hand when the proper form of worship would be a state of mind which is continuously conscience of giving glory to God. Not just at a special time and place, but always in every aspect of daily life.
Paul gives specific examples of living life to the glory of God throughout his epistles. Whether in speech or work (Colossians 3:17), eating or drinking (1 Corinthians 10:31), as employee or boss (Ephesians 6:5-9), we are to do everything "as unto Christ" (Ephesians 6:5) to the glory of God. Because God has already told man through Isaiah that he is not interested in the blood of sacrifices, or the smell of incense and burnt offerings, and the observing of seasons and feasts. (Isaiah 1:11-14) What God desires from man is a regular lifestyle that honors him. It is how we treat one another, orphans and widows, strangers and travelers, those who are sick or in prison that matters to God. Not rituals and rules.
The Bible instructs us that sin is not just stealing or lying or coveting or committing adultery, it is refusing to acknowledge that God is the creator and author of all things. Sin is a refusal to give God thanks and praise for everything that is. Sin is the absence of giving God the glory He is due in everything we do. This is done by putting our attention "on things above, not on things on the earth." (Colossians 3:2) That means that we should think about how what we are doing, no matter what it is, will serve and please God, displaying his greatness and glory, rather than focusing on how it will benefit us. If our focus is on God in all we do, then we will be giving Him the kind of service and worship He desires. He will be pleased, and we will be blessed.
As we perform the tasks of daily life, we should remember Paul's admonition that "whatever is not faith is sin." (Romans 14:23) What Paul is telling us is that we should not consider an act, a way of doing something, or something we refrain from doing which is based on doctrines or teaching of man to be an act of worship and glorifying God. Simply saying, "I do this because my religion says it is what I am supposed to do," does not qualify as an act of faith; and therefore it does not qualify as living to the glory of God. Our actions and deeds must be founded in true faith in Christ Jesus and his teachings if they are to glorify God. Here again we see the need to put our attention "on things above, not on things on the earth." Our motivation needs to come to us from God through Jesus via the Holy Spirit if our daily life is to be a reflection of the power, grace, and glory of God. It is His spirit that must be the motivating and guiding force in our lives, not the desires, teachings, and objectives of man.
Living ordinary daily life with all its cares and difficulties in a way that honors God in all things is not really a difficult task if we remember just how powerful the grace of God and the love of Jesus are. As long as we have that power which comes to us through faith, we can accomplish anything. Remember the words Jesus spoke to his disciples, "with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26) As long as we go through our normal day with our thoughts focused on God rather than on the things of this world, His Holy Spirit will be with us. He will lead us in His ways, the our Father which art in heaven me be honored and glorified in all that we do.
May the grace of God be with you, guide you in all that you do, and give you His peace. Amen.
As the apostle Paul was teaching the young church how to live the Christian life, he emphasized that worship was not a ritualistic act performed in a certain place at a certain time, but was a matter of performing all the acts of normal life in a manner which gives praise, thanks, and glory to God. This is a reflection and extension of what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well when he told her, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth." He was indicating to the woman (and us) that, even though man has been worshiping God through rituals, such as sacrifices, the day was at hand when the proper form of worship would be a state of mind which is continuously conscience of giving glory to God. Not just at a special time and place, but always in every aspect of daily life.
Paul gives specific examples of living life to the glory of God throughout his epistles. Whether in speech or work (Colossians 3:17), eating or drinking (1 Corinthians 10:31), as employee or boss (Ephesians 6:5-9), we are to do everything "as unto Christ" (Ephesians 6:5) to the glory of God. Because God has already told man through Isaiah that he is not interested in the blood of sacrifices, or the smell of incense and burnt offerings, and the observing of seasons and feasts. (Isaiah 1:11-14) What God desires from man is a regular lifestyle that honors him. It is how we treat one another, orphans and widows, strangers and travelers, those who are sick or in prison that matters to God. Not rituals and rules.
The Bible instructs us that sin is not just stealing or lying or coveting or committing adultery, it is refusing to acknowledge that God is the creator and author of all things. Sin is a refusal to give God thanks and praise for everything that is. Sin is the absence of giving God the glory He is due in everything we do. This is done by putting our attention "on things above, not on things on the earth." (Colossians 3:2) That means that we should think about how what we are doing, no matter what it is, will serve and please God, displaying his greatness and glory, rather than focusing on how it will benefit us. If our focus is on God in all we do, then we will be giving Him the kind of service and worship He desires. He will be pleased, and we will be blessed.
As we perform the tasks of daily life, we should remember Paul's admonition that "whatever is not faith is sin." (Romans 14:23) What Paul is telling us is that we should not consider an act, a way of doing something, or something we refrain from doing which is based on doctrines or teaching of man to be an act of worship and glorifying God. Simply saying, "I do this because my religion says it is what I am supposed to do," does not qualify as an act of faith; and therefore it does not qualify as living to the glory of God. Our actions and deeds must be founded in true faith in Christ Jesus and his teachings if they are to glorify God. Here again we see the need to put our attention "on things above, not on things on the earth." Our motivation needs to come to us from God through Jesus via the Holy Spirit if our daily life is to be a reflection of the power, grace, and glory of God. It is His spirit that must be the motivating and guiding force in our lives, not the desires, teachings, and objectives of man.
Living ordinary daily life with all its cares and difficulties in a way that honors God in all things is not really a difficult task if we remember just how powerful the grace of God and the love of Jesus are. As long as we have that power which comes to us through faith, we can accomplish anything. Remember the words Jesus spoke to his disciples, "with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26) As long as we go through our normal day with our thoughts focused on God rather than on the things of this world, His Holy Spirit will be with us. He will lead us in His ways, the our Father which art in heaven me be honored and glorified in all that we do.
May the grace of God be with you, guide you in all that you do, and give you His peace. Amen.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
The Triumph of the Youngest Son
Scripture references: Judges 9, 1 Samuel 16
If you are the youngest male child in your family, or if you are male with several older brothers, you know what boys in that family position have gone through for all of man's history. Being the baby brother can mean getting a lot of attention; it can also mean getting left out at times. It can put a boy in a position of favor with adults; and it can cause a boy to be envied and resented by his older siblings. Being the youngest boy can have advantages and disadvantages. It can mean being the most favored in mom and dad's eyes, and the least favored in the eyes of the older brothers.
I would like to look at two stories from the Old Testament concerning the youngest brother in a family, and how God raises up the youngest boy to demonstrate His glory. They are the story of Jotham, the youngest son of Gideon. And the story of David, the youngest son of Jesse. In each of these two lives God shows how the ways and wisdom of Man are not His. For God does not care about birth order as man does, but about the heart and spirit of a boy.
The story of Jotham is a sad tale with a just end. One of his older step-brother's, Abimelech, decided that he wanted to be the ruler after Gideons death. So he decided to kill all of his other brothers. The only boy who escaped the mass slaughter was the youngest, Jotham. He was able to hide and save himself. Afterwards, Jotham proclaimed a curse on Abimelech and all those who followed him. In the end, the curse was fulfilled, and Abimelech was killed and his followers suffered. The youngest son triumphed in the end, not because of his own strength, but because of God's justice toward the righteous.
The second story, that of the young shepherd boy who became King of Israel, is well known. Young David was left alone to watch the family's herd of sheep, while all the older boys went off to fight with King Saul. But God was displeased with Saul and sought to anoint a new King. So He sent his prophet, Samuel, to the house of Jesse to seek the new King. And much to his own surprise, as well as the surprise of everyone else, it was not the oldest and best looking of Jesse's son whom God choose, but the youngest son. And it was this youngest son who triumphed over the giant Goliath, and conquered many peoples and lands, and brought greatness to Israel, and glory to God.
Throughout the Bible God teaches us that His ways are not like ours. He does not value the things we find important. The people God chooses to raise up in world to show his greatness and glory are often the youngest, or poorest, or despised of common men. When choosing the followers of Jesus, He choose common fishermen and a publican. When spreading the gospel to all the world, He choose Saul, a persecutor of the church; someone no man would have chosen to be a spokesman for Jesus Christ. And Paul's followers and great leaders of the early Church, like Aquila and Pirscilla, were mostly common men and women. In this way, God makes it clear that it is His power, wisdom and grace which are displayed to the world; therefore no man or nation may boast of their own power and accomplishments. That is the reason God told Gideon to take only three-hundred men into battle against Israel's enemy. So that Israel would not be able to boast of their great victory, but God would receive glory and honor before all men.
So if you are the youngest son or daughter, or the weakest or smallest in your group, or perhaps the poorest and least attractive, remember how God quite often raises up such as these to show forth his mighty power and glory to all the world. By forgetting about what man values and placing your faith in God, you can share in his glory and be blessed far above those whom man considers greater.
May the peace and blessings of God be with you. Amen.
If you are the youngest male child in your family, or if you are male with several older brothers, you know what boys in that family position have gone through for all of man's history. Being the baby brother can mean getting a lot of attention; it can also mean getting left out at times. It can put a boy in a position of favor with adults; and it can cause a boy to be envied and resented by his older siblings. Being the youngest boy can have advantages and disadvantages. It can mean being the most favored in mom and dad's eyes, and the least favored in the eyes of the older brothers.
I would like to look at two stories from the Old Testament concerning the youngest brother in a family, and how God raises up the youngest boy to demonstrate His glory. They are the story of Jotham, the youngest son of Gideon. And the story of David, the youngest son of Jesse. In each of these two lives God shows how the ways and wisdom of Man are not His. For God does not care about birth order as man does, but about the heart and spirit of a boy.
The story of Jotham is a sad tale with a just end. One of his older step-brother's, Abimelech, decided that he wanted to be the ruler after Gideons death. So he decided to kill all of his other brothers. The only boy who escaped the mass slaughter was the youngest, Jotham. He was able to hide and save himself. Afterwards, Jotham proclaimed a curse on Abimelech and all those who followed him. In the end, the curse was fulfilled, and Abimelech was killed and his followers suffered. The youngest son triumphed in the end, not because of his own strength, but because of God's justice toward the righteous.
The second story, that of the young shepherd boy who became King of Israel, is well known. Young David was left alone to watch the family's herd of sheep, while all the older boys went off to fight with King Saul. But God was displeased with Saul and sought to anoint a new King. So He sent his prophet, Samuel, to the house of Jesse to seek the new King. And much to his own surprise, as well as the surprise of everyone else, it was not the oldest and best looking of Jesse's son whom God choose, but the youngest son. And it was this youngest son who triumphed over the giant Goliath, and conquered many peoples and lands, and brought greatness to Israel, and glory to God.
Throughout the Bible God teaches us that His ways are not like ours. He does not value the things we find important. The people God chooses to raise up in world to show his greatness and glory are often the youngest, or poorest, or despised of common men. When choosing the followers of Jesus, He choose common fishermen and a publican. When spreading the gospel to all the world, He choose Saul, a persecutor of the church; someone no man would have chosen to be a spokesman for Jesus Christ. And Paul's followers and great leaders of the early Church, like Aquila and Pirscilla, were mostly common men and women. In this way, God makes it clear that it is His power, wisdom and grace which are displayed to the world; therefore no man or nation may boast of their own power and accomplishments. That is the reason God told Gideon to take only three-hundred men into battle against Israel's enemy. So that Israel would not be able to boast of their great victory, but God would receive glory and honor before all men.
So if you are the youngest son or daughter, or the weakest or smallest in your group, or perhaps the poorest and least attractive, remember how God quite often raises up such as these to show forth his mighty power and glory to all the world. By forgetting about what man values and placing your faith in God, you can share in his glory and be blessed far above those whom man considers greater.
May the peace and blessings of God be with you. Amen.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
The True Witness
Scripture reference: Exodus 20:16
The Ninth Commandment can easily be collapsed to, "Thou shalt not lie." Which can then be expanded to mean lying with speech and behavior. For everyone knows that as a picture is worth a thousand words, our actions speak louder than words. And if our actions contradict the words we speak, it is alway our actions which are believed. Therefore, we break the Ninth Commandment both when we bare false witness about ourselves with words that do not match our deeds, and bare false witness against Christ when are deeds do not match His teachings.
When people accused Jesus of being a servant of the Devil, he responded by pointing to his behavior. Jesus often called people to consider his actions and the things he did as proof that he was sent by God. And when Paul responded to his critics, he always reminded them of how he and his associates conducted themselves. Both Jesus and Paul relied on their actions more than their words to prove their servitude to God.
I have no doubt that when God commanded His people to no bare false witness against each other, He did so because He knew that it would reflect badly on Him. And is this not exactly what happens when Christians behave in a manner others outside the Church know contradicts the teachings of the Bible? Is it not God and Jesus who suffer the most loss when some one claiming to be a Christian behaves in a manner contrary to his words? Is it not the Church, the body of Christ, that is injured when one of its members, by his behavior, bares false witness against the Church?
The news of the land too often contains a report of some minister doing something everyone knows the Bible speaks against. Whether it be a minister chasing after money and living a lavish lifestyle, or a minister having an affair with a gay man, or a minister using his pulpit to speak hatred toward some group, the false witness these men make is more against the gospel of Jesus Christ than it is against themselves. And it is how these men behave which attracts the attention of the public; much more so than anything they say. As a result, it is the behavior of these false witnesses which dominates the minds of someone a faithful witness speaks the Word of truth to. So the truthful witness also suffers from the negative perception of him planted in the lost sheep's mind by the false witness.
When we correctly interpret the Ninth Commandment as forbidding the telling of lies about another, we need to remember that God, Jesus, and the Church count as "another." And we need to remember that we are constantly being watched; our behavior is constantly being scrutinized. We are always making a witness and giving testimony even when there are no words coming out of our mouth. The giving or withholding of a smile; the holding or not holding of a door; having a beer or a cigarette in our hand; the magazine we look at while standing in line at the checkout; the too tight or too baggy pants we are wearing. In all of these silent ways and many others we present a witness loud and clear. And whenever our non-verbal testimony is contrary to our words, it is our behavior which will have prominence. Our verbal witness will be ignored as false. For ultimately, people hear better with their eyes than with their ears.
Therefore, let us go forth and bare no false witness against our Heavenly Father and our master, Jesus Christ, by our behavior. Let us strive to give a true testimony to the love of the Father and the Son, and our obedience to their teachings with our every action. And may God be glorified by both our words and deeds.
May the grace of God, the love of Jesus Christ, and the peace of the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen.
The Ninth Commandment can easily be collapsed to, "Thou shalt not lie." Which can then be expanded to mean lying with speech and behavior. For everyone knows that as a picture is worth a thousand words, our actions speak louder than words. And if our actions contradict the words we speak, it is alway our actions which are believed. Therefore, we break the Ninth Commandment both when we bare false witness about ourselves with words that do not match our deeds, and bare false witness against Christ when are deeds do not match His teachings.
When people accused Jesus of being a servant of the Devil, he responded by pointing to his behavior. Jesus often called people to consider his actions and the things he did as proof that he was sent by God. And when Paul responded to his critics, he always reminded them of how he and his associates conducted themselves. Both Jesus and Paul relied on their actions more than their words to prove their servitude to God.
I have no doubt that when God commanded His people to no bare false witness against each other, He did so because He knew that it would reflect badly on Him. And is this not exactly what happens when Christians behave in a manner others outside the Church know contradicts the teachings of the Bible? Is it not God and Jesus who suffer the most loss when some one claiming to be a Christian behaves in a manner contrary to his words? Is it not the Church, the body of Christ, that is injured when one of its members, by his behavior, bares false witness against the Church?
The news of the land too often contains a report of some minister doing something everyone knows the Bible speaks against. Whether it be a minister chasing after money and living a lavish lifestyle, or a minister having an affair with a gay man, or a minister using his pulpit to speak hatred toward some group, the false witness these men make is more against the gospel of Jesus Christ than it is against themselves. And it is how these men behave which attracts the attention of the public; much more so than anything they say. As a result, it is the behavior of these false witnesses which dominates the minds of someone a faithful witness speaks the Word of truth to. So the truthful witness also suffers from the negative perception of him planted in the lost sheep's mind by the false witness.
When we correctly interpret the Ninth Commandment as forbidding the telling of lies about another, we need to remember that God, Jesus, and the Church count as "another." And we need to remember that we are constantly being watched; our behavior is constantly being scrutinized. We are always making a witness and giving testimony even when there are no words coming out of our mouth. The giving or withholding of a smile; the holding or not holding of a door; having a beer or a cigarette in our hand; the magazine we look at while standing in line at the checkout; the too tight or too baggy pants we are wearing. In all of these silent ways and many others we present a witness loud and clear. And whenever our non-verbal testimony is contrary to our words, it is our behavior which will have prominence. Our verbal witness will be ignored as false. For ultimately, people hear better with their eyes than with their ears.
Therefore, let us go forth and bare no false witness against our Heavenly Father and our master, Jesus Christ, by our behavior. Let us strive to give a true testimony to the love of the Father and the Son, and our obedience to their teachings with our every action. And may God be glorified by both our words and deeds.
May the grace of God, the love of Jesus Christ, and the peace of the Holy Spirit be with you. Amen.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Difficulties Prove Faith
Scripture reference: Judges 2:21-23
When the Israelites went into the land the Lord had given to them, God had commanded them to empty it of its inhabitants, so as not to be contaminated with the pagan religion and ways of the people who were living in the land. But the children of Israel did not do as God commanded them. Not only that, after the first generation of Israelites that had moved into the land died, the next generation did exactly what God did not want them to do. The began to marry with the pagans, and began to adopt their religion and their ways. As a result, God was angry with the children of Israel. And, in His wisdom, God knew that this choice of behavior would eventually result in difficulties for the children of Israel. So God decided that He would not help His people out of the difficulties they had brought upon themselves. Instead, God decided that the situation would provide the Israelites an opportunity to prove "whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not." (Judges 2:22 KJV)
Quite often members of the Church will do things they know they are not supposed to do. They will charge a purchase they know they don't really need and cannot afford to a credit card. They will enter into a relationship they know is not right. They will go some place they know they should not go to. They will do something they know they should not do. And then when they find themselves in a difficult situation, a situation they created, they suddenly expect God to get them out of it. They seem to think all they have to do is pray to God to spare them, and He will make everything alright.
This passage makes it quite clear that God sees such situations as an opportunity for us to prove our faith in Him. The question in His mind is simple, honest, and just. Will we continue to love God, be obedient to Him, and follow His ways, even as we struggle to get out of the mess we created? Or will we blame the difficulty we created on God, and turn our back on Him because He does not save us from the troubles of our own creation? Will be truly repent of our ways, or will we deny that we did anything wrong and worthy of punishment?
The Bible teaches us that if we are truly repentant in our hearts, and worship God in how we live our life, and call upon Him in the name of Jesus, He will provide us with a way out of trouble. For God is long suffering in His love toward us, and His mercy is everlasting. If we prove our faith in Him by accepting responsibility for our transgressions and continue to praise Him in the storm of difficulties we have created, He will pour out His grace and blessings upon us.
Of course, if we always follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit whom Jesus asked His father to send us we will not get ourselves into trouble. But, should we make a wrong turn and go down an wrong path and find ourselves in a field of thorns, we must remember that God is going to be watching to see if we blame and desert Him. Or will we repent of our mistake, and demonstrate the faith that following God and His ways is what is always best. Will we see the difficulties as an excuse to complain to God, or an opportunity to prove our faith?
May God bless you and give you peace. Amen.
When the Israelites went into the land the Lord had given to them, God had commanded them to empty it of its inhabitants, so as not to be contaminated with the pagan religion and ways of the people who were living in the land. But the children of Israel did not do as God commanded them. Not only that, after the first generation of Israelites that had moved into the land died, the next generation did exactly what God did not want them to do. The began to marry with the pagans, and began to adopt their religion and their ways. As a result, God was angry with the children of Israel. And, in His wisdom, God knew that this choice of behavior would eventually result in difficulties for the children of Israel. So God decided that He would not help His people out of the difficulties they had brought upon themselves. Instead, God decided that the situation would provide the Israelites an opportunity to prove "whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not." (Judges 2:22 KJV)
Quite often members of the Church will do things they know they are not supposed to do. They will charge a purchase they know they don't really need and cannot afford to a credit card. They will enter into a relationship they know is not right. They will go some place they know they should not go to. They will do something they know they should not do. And then when they find themselves in a difficult situation, a situation they created, they suddenly expect God to get them out of it. They seem to think all they have to do is pray to God to spare them, and He will make everything alright.
This passage makes it quite clear that God sees such situations as an opportunity for us to prove our faith in Him. The question in His mind is simple, honest, and just. Will we continue to love God, be obedient to Him, and follow His ways, even as we struggle to get out of the mess we created? Or will we blame the difficulty we created on God, and turn our back on Him because He does not save us from the troubles of our own creation? Will be truly repent of our ways, or will we deny that we did anything wrong and worthy of punishment?
The Bible teaches us that if we are truly repentant in our hearts, and worship God in how we live our life, and call upon Him in the name of Jesus, He will provide us with a way out of trouble. For God is long suffering in His love toward us, and His mercy is everlasting. If we prove our faith in Him by accepting responsibility for our transgressions and continue to praise Him in the storm of difficulties we have created, He will pour out His grace and blessings upon us.
Of course, if we always follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit whom Jesus asked His father to send us we will not get ourselves into trouble. But, should we make a wrong turn and go down an wrong path and find ourselves in a field of thorns, we must remember that God is going to be watching to see if we blame and desert Him. Or will we repent of our mistake, and demonstrate the faith that following God and His ways is what is always best. Will we see the difficulties as an excuse to complain to God, or an opportunity to prove our faith?
May God bless you and give you peace. Amen.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Liberation and Prosperity
The American society of today is saturated with people proclaiming messages of liberation and prosperity. They can be found in the houses of God, and in the houses of the people (Legislatures). Both preachers and politicians alike pronounce their plans for liberating the masses from oppression and poverty. They present a claim that God wants all people to be free and prosperous, and use scripture as their proof. They decry a government and social structure which supposedly denies freedoms to some, and allows only a select few to become prosperous.
It is interesting to view these ideas in the light of God's word. Jesus, as recorded in the Gospels, was always telling people to give away their wealth. He, in fact, said that it would be very difficult for a rich man to enter Heaven. And he spent his whole life living and teaching among the poor common folk. When Jesus did dine with the rich, he always told them to remember the poor, and not to exclude them from their parties. Nowhere in any of the teachings of Jesus can it be found where He instructed people that they should strive to achieve prosperity because God intended them to. This is a fabrication of modern secular gurus seeking the adoration and following of the masses. Gurus in both politics and the Church.
A careful study of Paul is not required to be aware of the many times he proudly referred to himself as a salve of Christ Jesus. Bound by the Word and for the Word. He considered himself free from The Law and the desires of the flesh, but a slave to God purchased by the blood of Christ. Paul did not preach a liberation theology, but a theology of obedience and service to and for Christ Jesus. His message was one of receiving grace and glory from God by participating in the self giving sacrifice of Jesus. Those among us today who preach a liberation theology seems to be advocating a freedom from constraints on fulfilling carnal desires and worldly ambitions. They appear to believe that having what you want when and how you want it makes you free. Both Jesus and Paul explain that such practices only enslave you to sin, and prevent you from receiving the eternal life of glory in Heaven offered by the Grace of God. What is achieved by following the teachings of liberation and prosperity preachers is really only bondage and poverty.
In the book of James chapter 4, verse 4 we are told that those who are the friends of the world are the enemies of God. For the ways of the world, like seeking total independence and wealth, replace God in a person's life. They become the things he worships and follows after, not God. The irony of the life God offers us through Christ Jesus is that the more He becomes our master, the more free and prosperous we become. For Jesus has told us that He is the way and the truth and the life. (John 14:6) And he has also said, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."(John 8:32) By becoming like Paul, a slave to Christ Jesus, we become free from the world and life of sin. And by practicing what Jesus taught, we store up great riches for ourselves in God's house. Riches that will never rust, and can never be stolen.
So, friends, if you want to be liberated and prosperous, make the Lord Jesus Christ your master. In Him and through Him is true freedom and wealth beyond imagining. Praise God!
It is interesting to view these ideas in the light of God's word. Jesus, as recorded in the Gospels, was always telling people to give away their wealth. He, in fact, said that it would be very difficult for a rich man to enter Heaven. And he spent his whole life living and teaching among the poor common folk. When Jesus did dine with the rich, he always told them to remember the poor, and not to exclude them from their parties. Nowhere in any of the teachings of Jesus can it be found where He instructed people that they should strive to achieve prosperity because God intended them to. This is a fabrication of modern secular gurus seeking the adoration and following of the masses. Gurus in both politics and the Church.
A careful study of Paul is not required to be aware of the many times he proudly referred to himself as a salve of Christ Jesus. Bound by the Word and for the Word. He considered himself free from The Law and the desires of the flesh, but a slave to God purchased by the blood of Christ. Paul did not preach a liberation theology, but a theology of obedience and service to and for Christ Jesus. His message was one of receiving grace and glory from God by participating in the self giving sacrifice of Jesus. Those among us today who preach a liberation theology seems to be advocating a freedom from constraints on fulfilling carnal desires and worldly ambitions. They appear to believe that having what you want when and how you want it makes you free. Both Jesus and Paul explain that such practices only enslave you to sin, and prevent you from receiving the eternal life of glory in Heaven offered by the Grace of God. What is achieved by following the teachings of liberation and prosperity preachers is really only bondage and poverty.
In the book of James chapter 4, verse 4 we are told that those who are the friends of the world are the enemies of God. For the ways of the world, like seeking total independence and wealth, replace God in a person's life. They become the things he worships and follows after, not God. The irony of the life God offers us through Christ Jesus is that the more He becomes our master, the more free and prosperous we become. For Jesus has told us that He is the way and the truth and the life. (John 14:6) And he has also said, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."(John 8:32) By becoming like Paul, a slave to Christ Jesus, we become free from the world and life of sin. And by practicing what Jesus taught, we store up great riches for ourselves in God's house. Riches that will never rust, and can never be stolen.
So, friends, if you want to be liberated and prosperous, make the Lord Jesus Christ your master. In Him and through Him is true freedom and wealth beyond imagining. Praise God!
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