Where did the time go?

I can't believe its been over a month since my last entry. Time is slipping past us very quickly. I don't think we value time as we should. Many people complain about not having enough time. I think we have more than we think, we just don't use is wisely in many cases. God help to make the most of our time.

I am convinced that one of the tools that the enemy of our souls has as a weapon is the busyness of life. We are always doing something, listening or watching something, or going someplace. We rarely have time to sit and meditate on God's goodness and mercy. I believe this is a spiritual discipline that is just as important as prayer and fasting. I think we need to "be still and know the He is God." Be still and know that He is faithful. Consider all the wonders of His hands. We need to stand in amazement that God has called us into a relationship with Himself.

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

We often question why tragedy befalls people we know. We really find ourselves wondering why bad things happen to good people, especially when they profess a love for Christ.

I believe the following is a perspective that is biblically sound.

God, in his infinite wisdom, knows what it takes to bring each of His own into a right kind of mindset. Often times when cancer strikes, an unexpected death, or other life changing events, we find ourselves remembering those things in life that are truly important. If you are honest with yourself, it will always involve people.

I spoke at the funeral of a dear friend, family member and pastor, William Kaber. I shared in the message a scripture which reads as follows:

“It is better to go to a house of mourning, than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart.” Ecclesiastes 7:2 (NIV)

This was a sobering truth that reminds us that life is short and precious. When we fail to see what is important on our own, God has a way of refocusing us to what is important.

Remember the four lepers of Samaria? The city was being starved to death under siege from Syria, and these four were stuck outside the gate between the city and the Syrian army.

They deliberated, If we say, ‘Let us enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare our lives we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die. (2 Kings 7:4)

The question wasn’t whether or not they'd die. That was the obvious that their leprosy helped them recognize. The issue, then, was simply when and where: Next week in the city? Tomorrow at the gate? Or today at the hands of our enemies?

They concluded that their enemies could do nothing more to them than what nature had already assigned. And, unlike their city and their skin, their enemies might even show them mercy. For them, the most frightful prospect was actually the wisest, most fruitful way to go.

In this case Leprosy made life a lot simpler. Being terminally ill, facing the death of a loved one, or other life changing events, often cultivates the clarity of mind that enables people to approach things that are good for them.

I believe that this is one reason why bad things happen to good people? Remember, all good things come from God. What we say is a bad thing, God sees as good.

A Superficial Gospel

Is it possible that modern popular Christianity is preaching a superficial Gospel in the 21st Century? If you look carefully at the history of the people of Israel many times the “popular” majority of priests and prophets turned from preaching the truth before the people and became profane in their speech and their own lives. In Jeremiah’s time, we see this recorded in the scriptures: “For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the Lord.”

What dismay to see almost all of the spiritual leaders of Israel speaking lies in the name of the Lord. Is this happening again? Is it possible that in our modern day evangelical circles there are many that are not preaching a true Biblical Gospel? True Christianity is never popular Christianity! True Christianity is accepted by few and rejected by many. True Christianity is abhorrence to the flesh, the devil and the world. True Christianity is a Cross! Death to self! Crucifixion to the world! What many are wanting to hear is an easy salvation and Gospel that does not hurt us or crucifies us. We want a Gospel that is catered to man and his interests.

Jeremiah wrote this when a entire nation was embracing a false gospel: “A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their own means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?” What shock should we experience if we realize that a false Gospel abounds and overflows in our evangelical Churches.

Could it be possible that just as in the days of Amos the prophet, today it is the same as was prophesied: “Behold, the days come with the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.”

Are people seeking out Churches were true biblical doctrine is preached? Are they seeking churches in which the conviction of the Spirit of God, the burden of lost sinners, the judgment of God is being preached? How rare it is to find such a Church where there is not just a feel-good message that warms the backslidden soul. How rare it is to find a church that is truly preparing the people for their reunion with Christ whether it is by the grave or when we are gathered together on the day of Christ’s return.

Division Hinders Our Commission

The greatest challenge for a pastor is, people. It is amazing to me how people can so quickly turn on one another. People who gossip and complain often times do not realize that they are being used by the enemy to bring division to the fellowship of believers. Often times, this kind of destructive behavior starts with people who lose their connection with the fellowship for whatever reason. Unity is broken when we yield to our carnal nature and let our emotions get the best of us.

My prayer is that people will learn the power of unity. Unity is necessary for any group of people trying to accomplish a particular task.

The power of unity can be seen in Eccl 4:12 which says, "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

No matter how much a local church has going for it, division can negate it’s vision.

The word division is constructed of the word vision with the prefix "di", which means, "double".

Double vision can be dangerous. If you are seeing two of everything you need to make a trip to the eye doctor. If there is disharmony in the local church you need some spiritual doctoring.

One of the conditions for unity: "Speak the same thing." (1 Corinthians 1:10)

There must be unity in speech if a local church is to make an effective impact for God.

The Bible is not saying there isn’t room for disagreement among good Christians. Rather, we are encouraged, even when we do disagree, and we will, to speak in such a way as to promote harmony.

Your motive for speaking and how you deliver your words are just as important as what you say. Be careful of a critical spirit. If you find your self hyper-critical of everything done in your church and others in your church, there are two options:

1.) The church may need your positive contributions to turn in the right direction, or,

2.) You may need to change your attitude. Ask yourself, "Is there something else going on in my life right now that has me angry or discouraged? Am I taking my frustration out on others in my church?

There must be unity of thought if a local church is to have an effective impact for God.

Once again, unity and uniformity are not the same thing. God has given all of us different perspectives to bring to the table.

Proverbs 11:14 "Where no counsel [is], the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors [there is] safety."

A church may look beautiful and have the latest technology, latest innovative programs and sharpest presentations, but without unity it will come apart at the seams.

How can we accomplish this objective? How can we be "perfectly joined together in the same mind?"

We can all spend a lot of time in the Bible and by reading the same thing we will have a greater chance of unity.

We can worship together consistently, serve together regularly, pray together faithfully, and fellowship together constantly.

God’s purposes are greater than our minor differences in the local church. What will really matter in the end is whether or not we accomplished God’s purpose for the church.

God Could Not Be Glorified If We Chose Him

The Bible teaches that we are dead in trespasses and sins since the Fall (Ephesians 2:5). It says that the mind of the flesh does not submit to God's law—indeed it cannot—and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwells in you (Romans 8:7-9).

Paul divides the world into two groups: those who are in the flesh and those who have the Spirit. He says that those who are in the flesh (that is, everybody apart from the new birth) cannot please God (Romans 8:7-8). And in 1 Corinthians 1 and 2 he says that the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit because they are foolishness to him.

The only question left after a group of scriptures like that is whether or not that inability, that "cannot," is blameworthy or not, In other words, does it release us from the penalty of sin, or does it insure that we cannot escape it by our choice.

The Bible is pretty clear that the corruption of our own hearts is so profound, that it renders us incapable of doing or desiring anything good. It indeed intensifies our guilt rather than relieves us of it.

My inability to do good apart from the Holy Spirit does not free me from the penalty of my sin. It is an inability that is rooted in my rebellion. My rebellion is so great and so strong that I cannot see Christ or hear the gospel as beautiful. Rather, it is a stumbling block or foolishness; and until I'm called, awakened, born again, I cannot see it as beautiful.

So what I believe about free will is that I am free to do whatever I please, and what I please is to sin. Therefore I'm going to be damned by my free will. I must be rescued from the bondage of my free will in order to see and hear God for who he is.

Paul says in Galatians 5:1, "For freedom Christ has set you free. Do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." True freedom is being set free from a bondage which only results in death. This is why we must be born again.

The evidence of a born again person is that, after the new birth, we want to do God's will. It is that freedom we act rationally according to what really exists. Thus, God gets all the glory for the liberation that he performed on our behalf and for the praises that we now bring him, not as people who are enslaved to sin, but as free people who are seeing the world for what it really is.

So I don't believe in free will if you define it as man's ultimate self-determination. I believe free will as, "you can do whatever you please." Before you're born again what you please, is self destructive and sinful. After you're born again, what you please is the will of God. So in both cases you have free will in that definition.

I realize that many others do not see free will as I do. They believe in a freewill defined as "man's ultimate self-determination." I don't think there is any such thing, especially since the fall of Adam when his self-determination forever bound mankind to sin and death.
Thank God, He chose us.

Writing My Personal Meditations

To this point in my blog writing experience, I have merely added portions of messages that I have preached or taught or articles from other sources that I have found insightful. I have decided to begin the practice of writing my thoughts as I am working through the process of knowing God and making Him known.

Tonight will be a nice beginning. I have been reading a book by John Piper titled "The Pleasures of God." A wonderfully deep and life changing read. In my reading time, my mind began to wonder why people don't or can't see God the way he really is. Most people have a view of God that comes from their heritage and tradition rather than from true revelation of the scripture. For example, I have met many people who do not give God credit for their "salvation" which is really no salvation at all. How can anyone, with half spiritual eyesight not understand that they had nothing to do with God calling them to be saved.

I think its very important that we begin realizing that God is God, and that he is perfect and complete in himself, and that he is exceedingly happy in the fellowship of the Godhead. He does not need us to complete his fullness and is not deficient without us.

I know that this thinking goes against the grain of much of the church, but never the less, if we can see it as true, then we would better understand his sovereign grace and love. Unless we see God in this way, when we hear the gospel, we will fall for the trick of thinking that we are the center of the gospel. We will feel that our value is the driving force of the gospel, rather than God's value being the driving force for the gospel. In other words, we will see the gospel as God's need for us, rather than the gospel and God's sovereign grace being exactly what we sinners need in order to be rescued from death.

What makes the gospel good news for us is that God is all that we need. He does not need us, and as a matter of fact, he is estranged from us because of our sin. But as Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, "but God, because of His great love," made a way for sinners to be reconciled to Him. This is done by the Spirit, to whom he chooses, it is a gift of God.

God is the center of the gospel, he was not motivated by our value, he was not coerced or obliged to offer this powerful gift. The gospel is truly a gospel of grace!

The Word of God Pierces!

Hebrews 4:12 says “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

The term "word of God" may mean a word spoken by God without a human mouthpiece. But in the New Testament it regularly means a word or a message that a human speaks on God's behalf.

Hebrews 13:7 says, "Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith." So the "word of God" in Hebrews 4:12 most likely refers to the truth of God revealed in Scripture that people speak to each other with reliance on God's help to understand it and apply it.

The word of God is not a dead word but a powerful word. It has life in it. And because it has life in it, it produces effects. There is something about the Truth, as God has revealed it that connects it to God as a source of all life and power. He upholds this universe with His mighty word of power. God loves his word. He is partial to his word. He honors his word with his presence and power. If you want your teaching or witness to have power and produce effects, stay close to the revealed word of God.

What does this living and effective word accomplish? It pierces for what purpose? The answer is, to divide soul and spirit.

The writer gives an analogy: it's like dividing joints and marrow. Joints are the thick, hard, outer part of the bone. Marrow is the soft, tender, living, inner part of the bone. That is an analogy of "soul and spirit." The word of God is like a sword that is sharp enough to cut right through the outer, hard, tough part of a bone to the inner, soft, living part of the bone. Some swords, less sharp, may strike a bone and glance off and not penetrate. Some swords may penetrate part way through the tough, thick joint of a bone. But a very sharp, powerful double-edged sword will penetrate the joint all the way to the marrow.

"Soul and spirit" are like "bone joint and bone marrow." "Soul" is that unseen dimension of our life that we are by nature. "Spirit" is what we are by supernatural rebirth. Jesus said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:6). Without the awakening, regenerating work of the Spirit of God in us we are merely "natural" rather than "spiritual" (1 Corinthians 2:14-15). So the "spirit" is that unseen dimension of our life that we are by the regenerating work of the Spirit.

What is the point in saying that the "word of God" pierces to the "division of soul and spirit"? The point is that it's the word of God that reveals to us our true selves. Are we spiritual or are we natural? Are we born of God and spiritually alive, or are we deceiving ourselves and spiritually dead? Are the "thoughts and intentions of our heart" spiritual thoughts and intentions or only natural thoughts and intentions. Only the "word of God" can "judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart" as Hebrews 4:12 says.

The word of God pierces deep enough to show us the truth of our thoughts and our motives. Give yourselves to the word of God in the scriptures. It is through God’s word that we confirm not only our regeneration, but also our justification and glorification.