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Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I
came.' How often have we heard that statement made with sincerity, conviction and with certainty, awe, even reverence? And, what are the signs these things that have come about in one’s life are God’s plan? There is a countless number, but the followings must be among the top ten. (1) "All the most unlikely parts came together." (2) "After praying long and earnestly this is the answer I got." (3) "It is so enormous, so big it has to be from God." (4) I heard that ‘still small voice telling me this is what I am to do," (5) "God is love and He wants all His children to be successful and prosperous." (6) "I feel this is right for me" or, closely related, "I feel good about it." (7) "I know this is His will." (8) "I wouldn’t have thought of this myself." (9) "I talked things over with my pastor, a man of God, and he encouraged me that this was the right thing to do." (10) "I just know it." These are all good and it is not our intention to make light of them but, rather, to suggest some caution into the formula. Yes, God is a loving God; He is a generous God. He does have a plan for our lives. We are told, Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Philippians 1 6 When we address the matter of the "plan" God has for us, we invariably think of things; things we do or places we go or people we encounter. But, John Gill's Exposition of the Bible suggests there might be a more basic interpretation of the "good work" He has begun in us. He doubts it is "things" since Paul said, "until the day of Jesus Christ." No thing could possibly last that long. And, then, he suggests the Scripture say the "good work" is in us, not done by us. Gill concludes: The Syriac version indeed renders it "good works", but these cannot be designed, for the same reasons as before; for though they are good things, and answer many valuable ends and purposes, yet they are external works done by men, and not internal ones wrought in them by God; wherefore by it is undoubtedly meant the work of grace upon their hearts, sometimes called the work of faith, because that is a principal part of it: this is God's work, and not man's, as may be concluded from the nature of the work itself, which is the transforming of a man by the reviewing of him, a regeneration, a resurrection, and a creation, and therefore requires almighty power; and from the condition man is in by nature, he is dead in sin, and has no power to act spiritually, and much less what is equal to such a work as this; he has no will, desire, and inclination to it, but all the reverse; and if he had, he could no more effect it, than the dry bones in Ezekiel's vision could cause themselves to live. This is the work of God. That makes sense because the Apostle John says, The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 1 John 2:4. This is God’s plan for our lives, isn’t it? What better service, what better works, what better testimony of the love of God and the presence of Jesus the Christ in our lives than to be transformed by him in all of our daily lives? There is an old hymn, "I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go." The first stanza says, "It may not be on the mountain’s height or over the stormy sea" and the refrain says, "I’ll go where You want me to go, dear Lord" – and finishes with "I’ll be what You want me to be." Well, it just might be that He doesn’t want us to go anywhere, mountain top and stormy sea not withstanding. Rather, indeed, He wants us to be what He wants us to be. And that is right here, where we live and work and play – right here at home doing those ordinary things in a most extraordinary way. It is attractive to run off in all directions like the "Mad Hatter" especially to exotic places and meet quaint people especially if we acquire some notoriety in the process. The lure of those "far away places with the strange sounding names is overwhelming compared with the dullness of our daily lives. Yet what better place to serve than among those we know the best in the places with which we are most familiar. Is it just remotely possible that He placed us just exactly where He wanted us to be? As totally unromantic as it may seem, is it possible that the "Paradigm of Purpose" he has for our lives – His plan – is for us to use our lives in our home and neighborhoods, at our work and in our leisure, in our "going out and coming in" in such a way as to glorify His Holy Name? Such a magnificent gift He has given each of us in the opportunities around us every day. Yet, unsatisfied we ask and expect more – more excitement more glamour and try ever so hard to fit His will into our plans.
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That’s what we are commanded to do and most "pastors/ministers" have willingly taken on the assignment. That allows them to see themselves as among the great orators of the world standing in front of a spell bound congregation as they dictate their opinion of Christian doctrine and interpret various Bible passages without the possibility of questions being asked opinions being challenged or clarifications made. The word "preach" is found some 60 times in the King James New Testament providing an ample basis for the substitution. It means, "to officiate as a herald to proclaim after the manner of a herald always with the suggestion of formality, gravity and an authority which must be listened to and obeyed." (ref) So what’s the difference? A matter of semantics – splitting hairs? No, it’s far more fundamental than that because how we interpret Christ’s orders here determines how well the Gospel has been and will be proclaimed throughout the world. Preaching means to urge, exhort to advocate earnestly often in an "officious or tiresome manner, to deliver publicly (ref). From the learner’s side, preaching is a pretty passive process – sit and listen. Some pastors will ask for an occasional "amen" or for the congregation to read a passage, to keep minds from wandering. In school, there is the threat of an examination to maintain some level of consciousness and pens busy at note taking. Increasingly, pastors are using sermon outlines with blanks to fill in to keep people’s attention but the Damocles of a test is absent so most rather mechanically fill in the blanks and day dream in the intervals between. Awareness of the doldrums may also help explain some of the screaming and gymnastics we see from some pulpits. Still, with fill-in-the-blanks, ranting and raving, audiovisual aids and everything else, preaching is a pretty dull and ineffective method of making one’s point. Case in point – Christianity has been taught in virtually all the world. Notice any differences? Well, is there a better way? Yes. Actually, there is a companion verse to Mark 16:15 in which Jesus says, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19). Teaching is used 91 times in the King James New Testament. In contrast to "preaching," "teaching" means to "cause to know something, to accustom to some action or attitude teach students to think for themselves to guide the studies of, to impart knowledge, to instruct by precept, example, or experience, to make known and accepted." (ref). It isn’t in vogue among "pastors/ministers. Rather, they do a transposition from "teach" to "preach" in all cases because (1) it would remove them from center stage. (2) it would open their utterances to questions and challenges. Rather than the font of all truth one’s mentor would become a stimulus to learning, goading and encourager his disciple to discover for himself. Perhaps there is the most fundamental difference: being told versus discovering for one’s self. Paul encourages Timothy to, Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). To study means there is intent to learn. Paul told Timothy to intend to show himself approved by making an effort, to learn, to know God’s Word. The difference is between a "student," on the one hand, who goes to a lecture completely unprepared siting there not wanting to or being given the opportunity to question rather he is expected to memorize and regurgitate what he is told. On the other is the student who has studied, prepared, going into class full of questions only to be given encouragement, direction and resources by his teacher instead of a bunch of "pat answers." To study means to "exert one's self, endeavour, give diligence (ref). Preaching gives us answers. Teaching helps us find them. A disciple is a student, the Greek. mathetes for learner, a pupil as in Matthew 10:24, The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It’s used about 252 times that way in the King James New Testament (ref). According to Webster’s Dictionary, a student is one who one who studies: an attentive and systematic observer. In John 14:26, we are told that the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, is to teach us all things and help us remember all things that Jesus taught. Rarely, if ever, is His character depicted as pompous and dictatorial, rather, in John 16:13 we are told that He will guide in our search for Truth. He "opens our understanding and makes the things of God plain and clear." One can hardly imagine Him towering over an audience dictating to them. Doesn’t it seem He would be a good role model for a master (Gr. didaskalos – a teacher )? Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2:13
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BUILDING THE BODY OR THE BODY BUILDING We don’t seem quite sure what we saints are supposed to do with our Spiritual Gifts. Actually we aren’t really sure of who a "saint" is and we are very leery of "Spiritual Gifts" all together – sounds kind of "spooky." As a matter of fact it often seems we are not sure what we are supposed to do – period. It is as though we have forgotten the admonition of the very Apostle at the center of so much "priestly," "churchly" controversy. In the KJV 1 Peter 4:10 states, As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Note the passage reads "the gift" – singular. What is that gift? Certainly the first gift that comes to mind is the gift of salvation through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ. The New Living Translation of the Bible translates this passage to say that God has given us a "great variety of spiritual gifts" that we are to manage well. The New Century Version Bible speaks of "God’s various gifts of grace" that are to be used in the service of others. The difficulty represented by differences in these "translations" is the implication of the "singular gift" found in the King James Version. Most translations of the Greek for "gift" (Charisma) found in the passage suggest it is "divine grace." Well, don’t you see that would be all Christians wouldn’t it - no escaping it? We might slough off the idea that we had one or more "Spiritual Gifts" with sham modesty – "Oh no, not me!" But, when we talk about the gift, and that gift is God’s saving grace, how can we ignore that? Then the trap is sprung. "Minister" we say, "He’s the guy up front, not me. I’m just a member of the church a ‘layman’ I think they call me. I’m not qualified to minister to no body." We continue as we have been carefully, diligently tutored to believe, "I am a good steward. I pay my tithing pledge regularly every month." Maybe through the back door, but even this modest little confession is an affirmation of the fact that it is we who owes a debt rather than God being indebted to us and obligated to us for one reason or another. "Good stewards of the manifold grace of God." To further compound the error, we even refer to our fundraising as "stewardship" which, of course, means paying the local church 10% of our earnings to meet its budget requirements. The argument is made that the buildings and staff we commonly think of as "church" serve the body of believers. Having arrived at this conclusion, the next step is to tell us that we are to concentrate our "gifts" in service to and though the "church." The "gifts" are almost always regarded as financial. :Get involved means make a donation. The "service" is almost always taken to be "volunteering" in some "area of ministry." Financially supporting the church is also being a good steward. Such support allows the pastor and staff to minister to the various needs of the congregation. In so doing, we are helping him build a better/bigger church in which others and we may worship. The more we support them, the more they can provide the kind of "spiritual services," we require and the more attractive the "church" will be to seekers. Thus, through our "support," we, the body, build the church - literally. Since most of the Scriptures used to justify building church buildings were given when there weren’t any, this interpretation is most unlikely. There weren’t any churches around when Peter was living in which to pour the fruits of our gifts. Christianity Today (September 7, 1998 Vol. 42, No. 10, Page 26) reports "the earliest known building specifically designed as a church" in Jordan dating back to the late third century. Even three hundred years later, such a building, if it was indeed a church, would have been a rarity. And, the further back one goes, the closer to the ministry of Jesus one moves, the less likely a "building specifically designed as a church" would be. All those 115 references to "church" found in the New Testament refer to people not buildings. The, "perfecting of the saints," the "edifying of the body of Christ" can only mean preparing each and every Christian for his/her ministry. Our gifts are to be developed and used through a discipling/mentoring, learning/studying process. We are to use these divine gifts of the Spirit in service to one another and, as a consequence, to Him. Whether these gifts are "extraordinary" such as Apostle or "ordinary" as is regarded the gifts of pastors and teachers, all are intended to spiritually guide "living stones" into the masonry of the Christ’s church rather than having our name engraved on the corner stone of a relic. Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a
spiritual house, an holy priesthood,
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It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves .Matthew 21:13 A pastor recently chided his congregation for giving "the stock response to someone’s problems, ‘I’ll pray for you.’" Think about that for a minute. We do say that a lot in response to someone’s miseries especially when we can’t think of anything else that we can to say or do. Truly, if that is glib, superficial or insincere, if it is just a way of "putting the other person off like getting rid of an unwanted guest, the pastor would be justified in what he said. Or would he? He did go on to clarify what he meant by saying that prayers wouldn’t help in the particular situation he had in mind. Something else, something more concrete was needed in this instance – medication or therapy or both. He suggested "professional" help would be required to bring relief to those suffering, prayers just wouldn’t do it. What a contrast to the words of the poet and hymnologist James Montgomery wrote almost 200 years ago, "Prayer is the Christian's vital breath, The Christian's native air, Our watchword at the gates of death; we enter heaven with prayer." The Pastor’s comments are worthy of consideration since he made them before a congregation of ten or fifteen thousand parishioners. Just what is the Christian position on prayer and its efficacy? Is it possible to pray too much or at the wrong time? Hopefully, we are mature enough to know we can pray for the wrong thing, but is it possible to pray too much? Is it possible that under some circumstances prayer is not productive? Can we pray too much? We are warned about "vain repetitions" in Matthew 6:7, but that seems to be directed at repeating the same thing over and over again rather that making many requests for different things. In the same passage, Jesus also cautions about prayers that are too long, but He doesn’t tell us not to pray so often or so frequently. In fact He tells us in a parable that men ought always to pray (Luke 18:1). When Peter was imprisoned the saints prayed "without ceasing" for his release (Acts 12:5). Paul also tells us to Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Now, this doesn’t mean we are to be constantly on our knees, or that we have to go around with our hands lifted up all the time, or constantly vocalize our requests but we are to pray frequently - many times a day. The wrong time? Maybe the wrong place - Jesus does tell us not to make a big thing out of praying (Matthew 6:5) but that we should do so in private (Matthew 6:6). Can our prayers be non-productive? Certainly with the Pastor’s attitude one probably shouldn’t expect too many results – we do have to believe (Matthew 21:22). But what about Jesus’ promise, For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened (Luke 11:10)? It would seem not. However James tells us, Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (James 4:3). There’s one instance. Jesus says our Father gives us "good" gifts (Matthew 7:11). That would seem to produce many rejections. Actually, Luke 11:13 translates this passage as the Holy Spirit rather than "good gifts." The implication being that He is the greatest gift of all and further lessening the likelihood of a person receiving something as carnal as a billion dollars in answer to prayer – even if it was accompanied with a promise to tithe. Having said all of this, is it glib to say to another, "I’ll pray for you?" Is it glib to tell someone they need to pray or that they should "turn it over to God?" Isn’t prayer a way we express our dependence upon Him for everything? Paul told the saints at Ephesus that, they should be Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18) and in Philippians 4:6 he said, Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. It almost seems we’ll have to choose between Paul and the pastor. Clearly Paul is telling us to constantly pray for everyone and everything. Oh yes, and Jesus said to pray always (Luke 21:36). Evidently He doesn’t think the same as the pastor who believes telling someone they "need to pray" is an easy, catchall simplistic response that is close to being an insult. Surely if such a statement were made superficially it would be reprehensible. But, even more unseemly is the commonly heard apologetic, "Well, I’m sorry, but all I can do is pray for you" or "I guess the only thing that’s left is to pray." Shouldn’t it be the first, not the last thing we do in crisis? Shouldn’t everything else be tried as a last resort if our prayers are inadequate to the task? Those who disparage the potency of prayer are truly a den of thieves robbing us of so much more than the Temple moneychangers. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Matthew 23:16
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if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me 1 Samuel 1:11 We sing, "Our God Is an Awesome God." We claim our God is the creator of the universe, of all things without end and His dominion is over all. He has all power and knowledge. He knows all and sees all. There is no other god before Him (Deuteronomy 4:35.) Our God is everywhere – heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee (2 Chronicles 6:18). He has neither beginning nor end (Genesis 21:33). He is the great I AM (Exodus 3:14). Truly He is an Awesome God. There is another attribute we contemporary Christians have attached to Him – He is in our lexicon, an "If – then" God. Through the words of His prophets in all ages God has told us, if thou wilt to direct our paths and show us His way. It is found early in Scripture -- Exodus 15:26 for example when the people were complaining about the harsh conditions of their desert sojourn. The last recorded occasion of "If thou wilt" is in Matthew 26:39 O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. These instances are just not part of Modern Christendom - not at all. In the first place it is we, rather than God, making the suggestion. In the second place the "If thou wilt" (speaking to God) is followed with a "then." A model of this type of bargain can be found in the Book of Samuel where the barren Hanna bargains with God to give her a son (1 Samuel 1:11). Following her example we might hear a Christian of today saying in prayer, "God, if you will (thou wilt is so old-fashioned we don’t say that anymore) give me $30 million dollars then I will give you a 10% tithe." Now what’s wrong with the arrangement? Such a deal – God gets $3 million dollars from us with very little effort on His part we might add. And, surely He can afford it - He owns everything. Since He created everything – and that’s a lot – a paltry three million dollars is hardly a drop in the bucket. Well, after all, didn’t God grant Jabez’s request to expand his territory? Oh, by the way, Hannah had a son – Samuel. It works – it’s a "win-win" if there ever was one. What could God have done without Samuel? As Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, "Aye, there’s the rub." Well, we don’t talk like that anymore either. Shakespeare’s Hamlet was saying, "Yes, there is the problem." In his case the problem (the rub) was sleeping; actually dreaming. The problem with our striking a bargain with God is that we have nothing with which to bargain. To think otherwise is indeed dreaming – a wild and unimaginable fantastic fantasy at that. You see God doesn’t need any thing we have. He doesn’t need anything we are. He doesn’t need anything we can do. He doesn’t need us at all. He is entirely, totally, completely self-sufficient. Now, if we can consider our total, depraved condition for just one moment, might we ask ourselves what in the world, what in the entire universe and beyond, do we have to bargain with? The temerity, the audacity of saying to Him, the great I AM, "If you will do this then I will do that" is simple beyond comprehension. How much more brazen could one possible be? Like so many of us, Jesus in the Garden did say, "thou wilt." However His "thou wilt" was quite different than so many of ours. He said, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt (Matthew 26:39). In the "Lords Prayer," that which He gave as an example for our edification, He also said something quite similar, Thy kingdom come, thy will be done (Matthew 6:10). Jesus was subordinating His fears, hopes, desires and wishes to His Father’s will. God granted Hannah’s supplication as he did that of Jabez. We don’t know why other than for the obvious reason that their request coincided with His plan. Surely Jesus supplication was infinitely more consequential than that of either Hannah or Jabez. It was rejected for exactly the same reason – it did not fit into His plan. Notice, too, Jesus didn’t have an alternative plan to suggest to God. He didn’t say, "If you will grant my petition then I will ---." He made a request, not a proposition. Maybe, someday, Pastor Rick Warren will write a book titled Our Purpose Driven God, because He is. We can’t know that purpose other than His incomprehensible love for us. We are part of that Glorious Plan, part of His Divine purpose – praise God we are. However, we are not partners with Him. We are not on an equal plane with Him. We have absolutely nothing to bargain with except His undying love and His infinite mercy. Peter wrote, As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 (Peter 4:10). Shouldn’t our prayer life reflect His Manifold Grace rather than presume we have something to bargain with before His throne? Just imagine that - before His throne attempting to bargain with Him!
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Some preachers try to convince us that our Christian walk is a long lucky road filled with good fortune. They take their cue from passages such as Romans 8:28 and others. But Jesus, not Paul, said But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. (Luke 6:24). While it is certainly true that all things do work together for "good," and indeed our Christian life is filled and overflowing (or should be) with "good fortune" we do need to interpret "good" with some caution. Wealth, suggesting "riches" (material goods) is used just twice in the New Testament. Both are cautionary. "Riches" are frequently spoken of in the New Testament (21 times), all of them dealing with money and possessions are warnings. Riches "choke the Word," they are "deceitful and lustful," only with great effort could a rich person enter heaven, riches choke our spiritual lives. Jesus also talked about mammon, once again as cautionary since He regards it as the primary rival for our attention. He warns us that we cannot serve mammon and God (Matthew 6:24, Luke 16:13). He cautions us about its misuse (Luke 16:9, 11). Therefore, when the preacher starts talking about "luck" and "good fortune," our "ear of discernment" needs to be on full alert. The more he talks about money as our luck and good fortune, the more he is a liar. The more he talks about them as "manifold gifts of the grace of God," the more he is in the word. In addition to Luke writing about, warning about, the impact of material things on our lives (Luke 16:9) he also writes about "true riches" in 16:11 - the things that are lasting. This is an interesting passage. Some pastors have actually used it to affirm worldly pursuits. Quoting Jesus, Luke writes, If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon who will commit to your trust the true riches? Well, now, there you are? Isn’t it clear that Jesus is telling us to seek after material wealth? No. What He is telling us is how to spend (give away) that which we have acquired – probably through immoral means. We are to look after our brothers and sisters in Christ, feed and clothe the poor – the poor, (1 John 3:17) not the preacher. There is a passage in 2 Corinthians that appears to suggest the appeal Paul is making to the saints in Corinth is for his ministry (2 Corinthians 9:10) while, in fact the entire chapter is about charity. Paul is urging the Corinthian saints to be more giving. Gill’s Exposition states, "he will multiply the substance of men; not what they lay out on themselves and families, or lay up in their coffers, but what they give away, or bestow on Christ's poor." For the poor. Just coincidentally, this is a consistent theme throughout the Scriptures. Tithing is intended for the widow, the orphan and the foreigner. Unless the preacher is a Levite, he is not on the list (Numbers 18:21). They, you see, had no inheritance – no land – as did the other tribes. Some want to make 1 Corinthians 9:14 read such that it is justification for a preacher’s salary. In the first place, Paul was referring to the tradition of supporting the Levites which, of course were supplanted by Jesus the Christ. In the second place he, Paul, says quite clearly that he will have nothing to do with such, for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void (1 Corinthians 9:15). None of this sounds glamorous or like a "bed of roses." It actually gets worse. There are many New Testament passages the clearly indicate that we are to expect trials, tribulations and hardships - persecution. Jesus said, It is impossible but that offences will come (Luke 17:1) with offences translated as stumbling blocks. He also said Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake (Matthew 5:10). Verse 11 says, Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you. Where is that lucky road we keep hearing about? In Matthew 10:22 Jesus warns us that You will be hated by everybody because of My name. Just a few samples. Where is all that blessing that is supposed to come our way? At the end when this life is no more. He said for us to take up His cross, not to open a bank account. Those who are true and who persevere, those who are faithful to whom the Master says, "well done" (Matthew 25:23). Our "luck" is a crown of righteousness of metal so precious as to be unimaginable, incorruptible, because He wore a crown of thorns for us. We will, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world (Matthew 25:340). Jesus tells us that we are lucky because our reward is at the end of the road. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven (Luke 6:23).For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap
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Pride Goeth Before a Fall "It is written: Man must not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4 A prophet is one who speaks what the Holy Spirit urges him to say. One might, therefore rightly say that it is as if God opened up his skull and filled it with His message. He gives consolation, light and/or strength to others according to God’s influence and His will. Peter writes, For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (2 Peter 1:21). Nothing could be more important to our understanding of how God works with us than the statement "not by the will of man." Rather it comes to us as we are "moved by the Holy Spirit." Jesus prayed that the will of His Father, not His will be done (Matthew 6:10). Surely if anyone had the authority it would be Jesus the Christ. That He deferred to the Father should be a clarion call for us to do the same. Surely, then, we all should be "empty" waiting to be filled by the Spirit. Just as surely, one should be absolutely certain that what we think is from God is indeed. Both he who makes such claims and he who hears them must be careful in making such claims as well as acting on them. God is not the only one capable of "opening our skull" and pouring in thoughts. He is not the only one who whispers in our ear. He is not the only one capable of inducing visions or speaking in diverse tongues. Were it so, life would be much less complicated. Jesus, Himself, warned us about "false Christs," and "false prophets" who would dazzle and mislead us with "signs and wonders" in order to deceive us (Matthew 24:24). However well intended or however intent upon deception, we must be aware that not all those who say, "I feel that it is from God" may be right in so asserting. Nor is it sufficient that persons sincerely believe what they are saying is from God. Earnestness and sincerity are not the criteria that must be used. It isn’t as much a test of sincerity as a test of truth we must be after. So what do we do, ask our pastor who is right? Fine unless he is the one prophesying. That may be a good starting point but, actually, the responsibility is ours. It is our duty to be informed about God’s Word and to pray for guidance and wisdom. The Word of God (the Bible) is our bulwark against false teaching/preaching. Paul, in writing to Timothy, assures us that, All scripture is given by inspiration of God (2 Timothy 2:16) and that it is to be used for instruction in righteousness among other things. If He doesn’t like two of His prophets causing confusion by talking at the same time (1 Corinthians 14:33) we may be absolutely certain He finds two of them disputing or contradicting one another intolerable. He isn’t about to make sudden and dramatic changes (Hebrews 13:8). It isn’t unlikely, it is impossible that he will change His position on "serving two masters" (Matthew 6:24) one of whom He speaks about, just by the way, is "mammon." It’s the same thing He said about the ease with which a rich man can get into heaven" (Mark 10:25). What He said about worldliness 2,000 years ago applies just as well as today. We are to rely upon the Holy Spirit for what to say and do – and even remember. Jesus called Him our Comforter. It is He who teaches us (John 14:26). We are taught that the "natural man" is incapable of understanding Spiritual things. To him, they appear to be absurd and incompatible with common sense (1 Corinthians 2:14). Only through the Holy Spirit, who also grants us wisdom and discernment, are we able to recognize the Truth. We are taught that there are those who cry Lord, Lord (ref) that show no genuine belief in Him or concern to promote His Word or to glorify Him. Instead, they appear interested in their own careers, their own fortunes and their own agenda – to be popular and to impress others. Generally speaking, if a prophet is out to make a profit from his prophecies, one might well suspect he is probably not a prophet. The "open skull" waiting for content might just be an empty head. Empty of righteousness, empty of Godliness, empty of Truth. Paul writes (2 Timothy 2:21) that only if we "purge" ourselves of "earthly pursuits," impetuosity, rash self-confidence, hastiness, strife, and vainglory," (ref) and heresies, we will bring honor to Christ’s name and become useful in His service. We are granted the inestimable honor of being a "vessel" of Him not of our will but His; not for your benefit but His; not for our glory but His. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? Matthew 7:22
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And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's
eye, but considerest We Christians are notorious for "shooting our wounded." We often reject those who, in our opinion, have "strayed" or "fallen." Even after confessing and repenting, these "sinners" are frequently driven from our congregations or made to feel so very alone and uncomfortable that they leave on their own accord to avoid further ostracism. The cold shoulder is sometimes brutally administered by those, who by their own admission may sin now and then but not as of ten and certainly not as badly as these disreputable ones. The only question is where do we shoot them – so to speak. Is the "injury" "life threatening" (in the head) or a wound, though it may be serious, from which they will recover? Do we do such injury that they forsake Christian fellowship altogether – a mortal wound – or just enough of a blow that with proper spiritual care they will likely recuperate? Its nothing new, Jesus addressed the issue. Its recorded in Matthew 7 that we are not to find fault with our neighbor because we have so many of our own – even more than they. In fact He says the same thing in three different ways in verses 3,4 and 5. One might even think He got irate about the whole thing. He even calls those of us who do such things frauds. In Luke 6:37, Jesus tells us not to judge, not to condemn but to forgive. Now, this is the "boss" speaking and twice he has told us not to engage in this judging/condemnation thing. Shouldn’t two warnings be sufficient? Well, just in case it isn’t, Jesus tells us to forgive those we have anything against so God will forgive our wrongdoings (Mark 11:25). Paul tells us that vengeance belongs to God (Romans 12:19) Where is it written that Jesus took revenge? Doesn’t He forgive us who so brutally treat Him every day of our lives? He did on the cross. Perhaps before we do our own "crucifixion" of one of our brothers or sisters in Christ we should consider what He said to those about to stone an adulteress – He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her (John 8:7). In wisdom, they walked away from administering legitimate punishment under the Law – she was caught "red-handed" in the act. In 1 John 8:7, we are told that if we think we are sinless we are deluded and that we make Him a liar (v.10). We are all subject to stoning. No? In the Book of James we are told that, For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all (James 2:10). Jesus told us that, whoever breaks the least of the commandments will be considered least in the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:19). So even if the obstruction in our own eye was but a speck, it is in God’s eyes something of gargantuan proportion. Is it even possible for us to comprehend that, in the eyes of God, even our worship, our praises and our prayers are as filthy rags? Probably not, but they are. The saints at Laodicea who, either because of their material or spiritual wealth thought they needed nothing when, in fact, they were starving is eloquent testimony that Christians can fall far short of the mark. Paul told the saints in Rome that everyone sins; everyone falls short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Of course, as we hasten to condemn, we do so knowing full well that we are perfect in every way – or so we want to believe. Otherwise, why would we be so hasty to condemn others unless it is from a sense of guilt? Maybe it is that our rush to judgment is a telltale sign, tacit recognition of an awareness of how far short of the mark we actually fall. Ancient in the history of Israel is the "scapegoat." Onto him were laid the sin burdens of the Nation and forthwith he was driven out from among them to a certain death. Might our rush to judgment be of the same nature? Maybe by pointing out the "mote" we are indeed trying to deflect attention from the "beam" in our own eyes making he whom we snub a reflection of our own shortcomings. As a matter of fact, in the annals of psychotherapy the is a disorder know as "mote-beam projection. Doesn’t one wonder where the name came from? Before we decide to cast stones, we should seriously consider three issues: (1) who is sinless, (2) whose sin is the greatest and (3) who is to judge. Unless we are without sin (a nice way of saying liar), that with a sincere heart we believe our transgressions are insignificantly small so we are willing to have them judged as we do and that we are actually empowered to judge, perhaps we should abstain. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and
ye shall not be condemned:
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For over six years the following statement of our purpose and mission has been posted on the Disciple Newsletter web-site. On occasion it is good to return to that statement with the intent to see if we are on track or if we have been remiss in fulfilling our assigned duties. During its existence, most of the focus of Disciple Newsletter has been upon the "church." Most often the term is used to designate a professional clergy, support staff and attendant buildings/grounds most of us think of when we say "church." It is that organization monopolizing Christianity today. And organization it is from the smallest of local churches to the sprawling mega-churches, "church offices" and bureaucratic structure predominate. Everything "Christian" has been subsumed consumed, within this monstrous aberration. Worshiping the Lord, praising Him, prayer, the communion of saints, charity, evangelism, learning, studying and discipleship all falls under its wing. We see a priesthood of ordained seminarians given authority in all matters by their respective denominations rather than a priesthood of all believers with authority in such matters provided by the Holy Spirit. We agree with the writings of Philip Schaff from "The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge (ref): "From this general principle of Evangelical freedom, and direct individual relationship of the believer to Christ, proceed the three fundamental doctrines of Protestantism — the absolute supremacy of (1) the Word, and of (2) the grace of Christ, and (3) the general priesthood of believers." As a matter of fact, we believe that the "Five Solas" (Sola scriptura [Scripture Alone], Solus Christus [Christ Alone], Sola gratia [Grace Alone], Sola fide [Faith Alone], Soli Deo gloria [Glory to God Only]) are an accurate summation Christian beliefs as given to us in Holy Scripture. These principles were not invented by us but were advocated by the architects of the Reformation as Truth founded in Scripture. We believe that they are. We believe that the very foundation of Christianity is that the Scriptures are the only infallible source of Truth - believers have the right and duty to read, study and interpret them. We believe in the priesthood of believers. It is our right and duty to study the Bible, and to govern all the activities of the local congregation of which we are members. Therefore, we are opposed to any scheme that declares the Bible and other traditions (liturgies, canons, creeds or doctrines) "to be co-ordinate sources and rule of faith, and makes tradition, especially the decrees of popes and councils, the only legitimate and infallible interpreter of the Bible" (ref). Similarly, we reject out right any hierarchical system, which puts the authority of such congregations in the hands of "an exclusive priesthood, and makes ordained priests the necessary mediators between God and the people" (ref). We further reject such priesthood as the legitimate performers of sacraments or priesthood as the exclusive and/or sole interpreters of Scripture. It is the Holy Spirit who is our teacher, our comforter. He leads and directs our daily lives – if we will allow Him. He is Christ’s vicar on earth, not any mortal. Jesus told us, But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you (John 14:26) or do we simply believe it no longer applies? We are told it is, "the proper work and business of the Spirit, to teach, interpret, and explain all things which Christ had said to them; to make them more plain and easy to their understandings; to instruct them in all things necessary to salvation, and to be known by them, that they might teach them others" (ref). But, how can He work in our lives if we don’t recognize His existence? It may be even more sinister, we may actually be taught that He is not to be trusted; a "thing" of the past for an " earlier age." But now, we are told, with the "church" and the learned "priesthood" we don’t need Him any more. It is persons, institutions and organizations attempting to thwart His work among us, that becomes the object of examination by The Disciple Newsletter. Whether it is "men of the cloth," commerce, government or the sacred halls of Protestant Christianity, that place barriers between each and every believer and the Holy Spirit, we firmly believe such works must be resisted. It is, therefore, the "institutional church" upon whom most of our attention must focus. It has, to an overwhelming degree replaced Him with organization, substituted Him for a personality cult, exchanged Him with slick marketing strategies and most of all, substituted His teachings with its own dogma.
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| Get the "I" Out and the "Him" In! Then said Jesus unto his disciples,
If any man will come after me, How can we change the focus from what Jesus can do for us to what He wants us to do for Him; from succor to service? Jesus did say, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). We are in financial trouble, we are having marital problems, feeling discouraged, feeling confused, we have been deserted, we are being tempted, we need blessing and prosperity, we are feeling dissatisfied, we need confidence, we are experiencing fear, we are feeling depressed, we are feeling lonely, we are sick, we are worried, we feel we are condemned, we are overcome with lust. Whatever our condition, we turn to the Lord for an answer and to the Scriptures to justify why we should be granted our request. How many of our prayers; how many of the sermons preached deal with Him helping us? Obstacles that may be blocking our path will be removed if. If it is His will. If it is His plan for our lives. Some preachers may be saying, "As a Christian, you have the right to prosper or succeed in every area of life-financially, emotionally, socially, mentally and physically. That's total life prosperity!" Is that right? Surely there is more to His message than how He can help us with our problems and how He can provide abundance for us in this life. Where is such a set of "Believers Bill of Rights" to be found in Scripture? "Righteousness," some want to tell us, "is the ultimate key to functioning in the supernatural power of God." Is that what it is all about? Become righteous so we can "plug into the Power Source and transform us into strong, happy wealthy and healthy people?" Is that the reason for the "righteousness" Jesus the Christ demonstrated and declared? Is that what He desires to teach us so we may become His disciples? Once we are righteous, do we have certain "inalienable rights?" Do our prayers become powerful because we possess the power to require what ever we desire – do we then have Disciple Power? John 10:10 does say that Jesus came that we might enjoy an abundant life – didn’t He? Isn’t that our "Believer’s Bill of rights," our "Disciple Power?" Yes. The definitive phrase however, is "abundant life." Are we sure that by "abundance" Jesus means material prosperity and physical wellbeing? If you could turn the clock back, put the snake back in his pen, would you want to return to the Garden of Eden? Adam and Eve wanted for nothing. God walked and talked with them in the garden in the cool of the day (Genesis 3:8). Of course, they had nothing either – remember they were naked. Maybe that’s what happened. After all, Satan did tempt Jesus with all the things of this world – fame, power and fortune. Was that the apple so pleasing to the eye of Eve that she could not resist nor could Adam a Mercedes 2005 CLK55 AMG Cabriolet, or a $15 million dollar estate in Palos Verdes, California? Maybe Eden became Palos Verdes. To believe that there is an abundance of Scripture we must explain or believe God says something one day and changes His mind the next. For example, Matthew 6:24 – mammon. Are we certain that what Jesus intends for is this life? Doesn’t Jesus warn us about it stifling living a life to the glory of God (Luke 8:14)? What is He telling us in John 8:25, that we should be anxious about this temporal existence, take whatever precautions are necessary to hold on to it? Was the example He set during His earthly ministry of that sort? Could His journey to the cross be described as self-centered? Didn’t He say we are to deny ourselves if we want to be a disciple of His (Matthew 16:24). What do we suppose He meant when He said, Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple (Luke 14:27). Is He here telling us to promote our own self-interests? How central is the word "ministry" in Scriptures? In one form (Diakonia) it is used 32 times, in another (Leitourgia) it is used six times in the New Testament alone. In both cases it speaks of doing for others rather than being done for. Service (Douleuo) is found there 23 times. Perhaps we need to re-visit Jesus’ sojourn in the wilderness and memorize His retorts: (1) Man shall not live by bread alone, (2) Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God, (3) Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Revelation 12:11 KJV |
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Your Insecurity Is
Showing Was that emotion which Joseph experienced really fear? There are differences in the emotions evoked by circumstances that, if we listen, will tell us a lot about ourselves. The Greek for the word "fear" used in the passage from Matthew is "Phobeo." But it has such a broad application covering such circumstances as Joseph’s reaction to learning of Mary’s pregnancy to those Jesus warns us to fear saying, Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell (Luke 12:5b). Joseph may have had some concerns, but it is doubtful he had such fear, as his Son would later speak. Fear is that which we experience when we discover an intruder in our home late at night bent upon doing us grievous harm; the same as suddenly encountering a grizzly on our trail in the forest. Those things with the potential to destroy us should be feared; and capable of eternal destruction greatly feared. Foolishness is the appropriate description of those who do not experience fear in these and similar situations – if not foolish, then dead. Well, not withstanding the fact that Mary was pregnant with Jesus, Joseph’s life was about to be dramatically changed, but it was not threatened. Mary, on the other hand, might well have experienced fear, because her pregnancy out of wedlock was punishable by death (Deuteronomy 22:20-21). Mary was afraid for her life initially. Joseph was anxious about his social standing – what would people think. What do people say today, if not out loud to themselves, when it is obvious by the bride’s condition that the wedding is a little late? In those days, it was a much more serious matter. Today, we would joke with Joseph’s dilemma; then he would have been shunned and forced to marry "the woman." Actually, most of what we "fear" is not life threatening. Instead, like Joseph, it produces anxiety instead of fear. That doesn’t let us off any easier. Because there is something there in the outside world causing fear, the bear, the stoning, we can avoid it or get away from it. When we are anxious, it is internal, there is nothing external we can avoid – its ourselves. We don’t know what people are thinking, we can only guess – a good guess, maybe, but a guess nonetheless. Upon getting ready to go out for the evening the emotions we go through wondering if our attire will be approved or rejected, liked or laughed at is as strong as fear but is all in our mind. We can’t escape. We think we will be rejected; people won’t like us or they will think less of us – we are anxious. We are insecure – uncertain about their approval. We spend most of our lives, most of our energy seeking approval from others. It is an unstable, insatiable quest that Jesus tries to put to rest. He knows what fuels our quest for things. It’s not the things, it’s our insecurities. Doesn’t He do everything He possibly can to reassure us? What do we "worry" over, having friends, what we have to wear what we’ll eat, where we’ll live and what we’ll drive? And, what does He say to us in response to the "fears?" Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment (Matthew 6:25). He knows that behind the "rat race" the world entices us to run lies the desire for other people’s approval. Yet, He tells us that I receive not honour from men. Then why should we? In contrast to everything everyone else has, Jesus tells us that the Son of man hath not where to lay his head (Matthew 8:20). The circumstance was a scribe declaring his loyalty to Jesus and His telling the man that "life wouldn’t be easy for him if he chose to follow Jesus." He left. Jesus knows that our insecurities can literally choke us to eternal death - And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful (Mark 4:19). The things we have, clothes, cars, clubs, houses, things,
are a badge of insecurity, not of courage; certainly not of success. They
tell on us more certainly than any polygraph ever invented. They are a
barometer of significance. They speak of our hierarchy of importance. A
Hyundai will get us there just as surely as a Hummer, but who would "be
caught dead in a Kia?" Clothes from T.J. Max or Target will cover our
nakedness just as well as those from Nordstrom’s, but who wants to be seen
coming out of Ross? A home in Garden Grove will protect us from the elements
as much as one in the Anaheim Hills except for the prestige loss. Prestige
comes from a French word meaning a "conjuror's trick" or illusion. It’s our
standing or the estimation of our worth in the eyes of other people. In a
series titled "Simplify Your Life," Doug Fields from Saddle Back Church
said, "Every ‘yes’ is a ‘no’ to something else." He’s right; time is a
limited commodity what we choose to spend it on is very telling. |
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And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for
life, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Exodus
21:23-24 KJV Today there exists what might be referred to as a "culture of revenge." Very much like this passage from Exodus, we seem bent upon getting even with those perceived as having wronged us. In some cases, the revenge taking is preemptive – striking back before any harm has been done. Where don’t we find revenge? When don’t we take it? And, when we seek revenge, is it against a friend? Revenge is brought down upon the heads of our enemies, not our friends. Who then, are our enemies – who should be? The "law code" of the Torah is as famous as The Code of Hammurabi. But both were "codes" trying to control the treatment of our enemies. Since societies don’t trouble themselves with the nonexistent, we may conclude that in Old Testament days taking revenge was a serious societal problem. So much so that God addressed the problem. We, the United States, have our codes/laws as has every "civilized" nation. It just seems these days we are setting them aside in favor of personal/individual vengeance. We’ve gone back to the "six-shooter" justice of the Wild West only now we use AK47s – it’s the "Hatfields and the McCoys all over again. Now what about we who call ourselves Christians. What is our stand? Who are our enemies? Easy to answer? Not at all. Well, it is until we are wronged – or think we are. Didn’t Jesus declare, For these be the days of vengeance (Luke 21:22a)? And He, Jesus, goes to some length describing the revenge about to be taken upon the "House of Israel." It concludes with His indictment of Israel with this stern warning, And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares (v.34). This is not an amusing little passage but a rather stern warning. One less positive than we, today, like to envision our Lord saying. Doesn’t it provide strong support for getting even? In Romans 13:4 Paul writes, for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. The "he" to whom Paul refers is a "magistrate," the "governing authority" (v. 1). This suggestion of Paul’s, upon reflection, might give us some concern. In the Old Testament we find precedent for "getting even." Jesus spoke also about the price disobedient Israel was to pay. Paul writes of civil authority as God’s agents for revenge. Don’t these make it clear how we are to treat our enemies – those who do despitefully use us? Wait, doesn’t Jesus tell how to respond to those who insult us, treat us abusively, use us despitefully, revile against us, falsely accuse us and threaten us? He does many times, many ways. We don’t need these particular Scriptures quoted do we? We know what they say. We are to even love Democrats (just kidding). As hard as it is to imagine, we are to reach out to those whom we have every right to hate. Rather than responding in kind, we are to "turn the other cheek." Lord, God, what is it you are asking of us? It seems the "eye for an eye" treatment of one’s enemies spoken of in the Old Testament was an attempt to lessen the violence that was so rampant at the time. When Jesus spoke of vengeance, it was His and only His to extract, not ours. And that edict from Paul only makes sense if those in positions of authority are, indeed, set there by God rather than usurpers of power. Interestingly, it is Paul who reminds us, Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord (Romans 12:19) It does not seem that hatred is to be in our emotional vocabulary – except with respect to our own personal sinful thoughts and actions. Now to that repertoire of sinfulness we must add what we think about as well as how we treat those individuals we don’t like or who have mistreated and abused us – our enemies. Essentially our enemy is, or is to become, our friend. Jesus says to us Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also (Matthew 5:38-39) Now, all that is left for us is to ask for the strength to meet the task of loving those whom we do not like – despise even. Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. Luke 6:28
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