Thu, May 25th - 6:20PM
"AS WE FORGIVE THOSE..."
(Continued)
So, You Want To Hear More Love, Do You?
When the word love is heard and used in our culture today, it can take on a wide variety of meanings. (Right now someone reading this may be thinking, “Okay, okay, but what about the forgiveness and un-forgiveness part?” We are coming to that, I promise)
The scope and range of divine love, the “agape” of God, is so vast that it is impossible to ever fully cover it in a world full of books, let alone one book. There are so many facets and aspects of God’s great love, but we can look at the Word of God and understand many things about it and certainly gain a basic understanding of it.
In 2 Tim. 1:7 the Bible says “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” The word translated “fear” in this verse from the Greek means “timidity, cowardice”. God is not the originator of a cowardly spirit. Having a godly fear is a different thing from what Paul is writing about to Timothy here. Also, notice how many things that we just commonly think of as merely an attitude that are actually generated by a spirit. Fact is that everything that touches us in this natural world has its root in the spiritual realm. Where do you think the secular world gets some of the terms they use such as, “team spirit” or “good job, that’s the spirit”? Emotions and attitudes are influenced by certain types of spirits.
So, if God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear, Paul, then what kind of spirit does He give us? Well, for one thing, He gives us a spirit of power. The word “power” here comes from the Greek word “dunamis", meaning, “inherent power; power to reproduce itself, implying need of constant activity and use for continued reproduction”. From this word we get our English “dynamo” and “dynamics”—the branch of mechanics dealing with the principles of motion or active operation. Just as a dynamo needs to be in motion to produce power, a person needs to stir up into flame the gift of God in his life. The word “dynamite” is also a derivative of this Greek word. God wants His people to be a powerful people. He empowers us by the inward operation of His Spirit working within our regenerated, re-created spirit whenever we accept and make Christ our Lord.
As Christians, we have spiritual dynamite at our disposal, however, sadly enough, many times we do not know when and where to use it, or even how to go about lighting the fuse.
Next, He gives us the spirit of love. The word “love” here is, of course, the Greek word that we hear so often now, “agape”. This kind of love has to come by way of a spirit – God’s Holy Spirit.
Then, Paul says that God has given us a spirit of a sound mind. The Greek word here is “sophronismos”, pronounced so-fron-is-mos'; meaning “discipline, i.e. self-control”.
So, with these words tied together we have the scripture teaching us that God desires for us to operate in His power, guided by His love and depend on Him for self-control as we do so.
I believe that we could say, without doing any injustice to the scripture, that God has given us the power of love.
The most awesome power that there is in this world or any other is the divine, spontaneous, agape love of God. You may say, “I thought God was the most awesome power there is”. 1 John 4:8 says, “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love”, and 1 John 4:16 says, “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” God and His love are synonymous and inseparable, therefore since His very essence is love, it qualifies as the most powerful force. Love is the motivating factor of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Romans 5:5 says, “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Paul says that it’s by the Holy Ghost that God’s love is shed abroad into our hearts. I am going to make a statement that you may have to chew on a bit. You may think it questionable or debatable, but let it soak in: God can only entrust us with His power to the degree that we walk in His love. The Holy Ghost is synonymous with the word “power” in the Word of God and in our everyday language as Christians. We are constantly referring to “God’s power” or “the power of God” when speaking in reference to the Holy Spirit. If you want to operate in the power of the Spirit of God, then you must, first of all, operate in His love. People are always saying they would like to see more of the miraculous happen. The more that we, as God’s people, operate in His love, I am convinced the more we will see of the miraculous taking place in our lives and the lives of others.
Mark 12:28-34
Let’s look at Mark 12:28-34. “And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? [29] And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: [30] And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. [31] And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. [32] And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: [33] And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. [34] And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.”
Jesus says, “hear”! Much of the problem is a hearing problem. Not a physical but a spiritual ear problem. We have to open our spiritual ears and hear so that this word can get into our spirit.
Now the Lord states that first of all we are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Now we look at that and from the vertical standpoint, many of us do not consider that too difficult. I mean, what is there NOT to love about God?
However, we see that the big problems come with the horizontal aspect of things, when Jesus says love our neighbor as our self. Someone has said, “To live above with saints we love, oh, that will be glory. To live below with saints we know, now that’s another story.”
You see, Christ here says that this commandment is like, “namely” or of equal importance. You cannot separate the importance of one from the other. It almost seems as if they both are actually just two parts of one commandment.
What the Lord was saying is if you really love your neighbor as yourself, you won’t steal from your neighbor because you don’t want anyone to steal from you. You won’t commit adultery with your neighbor’s wife or husband because you don’t want to be treated that way. You won’t murder your neighbor or lie to him, because you don’t want anyone to kill you or lie to you.
The scribe responds to him in verse 33, “And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
The word “understanding” in the Greek is the word “sunesis", meaning a putting together, meaning the whole of the intelligence, not only one part of it. Not the Greek “dianoia", the mind, or thinking faculty of Mark 12:30. Notice that the first commandment demands complete consecration and obedience of the whole body, soul, and spirit—all the heart or the innermost being in general; all the mind or the intellectual powers consisting of will, intelligence, and conscience; all the soul or the feelings, emotions, passions, and desires; and all the strength or bodily faculties, deriving its powers from the soul and spirit. Quite a contrast to many modern religionists who hold to serving God with the mind or thoughts only and who claim one can be holy only in spirit and not in body and soul.
The scripture says that when Jesus saw that this man answered discreetly, or intelligently, having his wits about him, or prudently, He then tells him that he is not far from the kingdom of God.
Not only because of his use of the word "understanding" but look at the phrase “is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices”. When a man gets to this degree of understanding biblical religion, he will not pay so much attention to formality, rituals, and outward show in worship. Apparently, the Lord really likes this quality in someone.
Talk About Tough Love
Excommunication is an extreme last resort, though biblical, and you don't hear of very many churches exercising this, mainly because they don't want to upset a "religious system". This could be classified as “intense tough love.” There are at least Seven New Testament reasons for excommunication:
1. A trespass plus an unforgiving spirit (Matthew 18:15-17)
2. False doctrines and offenses contrary to Scripture (Romans 16:17)
3. Hating Christ (1 Cor. 16:22)
4. Disorderly conduct and disobedience (2 Thes. 3:6,14-15)
5. Apostasy (1 Tim. 1:19-20; 1 Tim. 4:1-8; 2 Tim. 3:5; 2 Tim. 4:1-4)
6. Heresy (Titus 3:10; 1 Tim. 6:3-5)
7. Fornication and other gross sins that damn the soul (1 Cor. 5:1-13; 1 Cor. 6:9-11;
Galatians 5:19-21; Mark 7:21-23; Romans 1:18-32; Col. 5:5-10; 1 Tim. 6:3-5)
Now, since we’re talking about God's love and forgiveness, let me ask you something. Do you think it would be Christian and within the bounds of God's love to blackball or "mark" a brother and then avoid fellowship with him? If your answer is "no", then Christ Himself wasn't a Christian, because He said in Matthew 18:17, "And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican."
He used the term heathen. The Greek word, “ethnikos”, means a “pagan, a Gentile”. Christ said this! Now the balance of that is, of course, be a Christian toward him, as you would a stranger whom you would seek to win to Christ, but have no religious communion with him until he repents. Then forgive him, letting his sin be a thing of the past.
Look closely at Romans 16:17: "Now I beseech you, brethren, MARK them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and AVOID THEM." Greek word for mark is “skopeo”, which means, "look out for". Paul was telling his readers to be alert for those who cause divisions and have no religious fellowship with them that the flock may be protected. The word is also translated "look at" (2 Cor. 4:18); "look on" (Phil. 2:4); "take heed" (Luke 11:35); and "consider" (Galatians 6:1).
How about 2 Thes. 3:6? "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye WITHDRAW YOURSELVES from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us." "Disorderly", in the Greek is “ataktos”, which means, “to behave disorderly.” It means “out of order; not in order of battle; not at one's post of duty; undisciplined; irregular; lawless; and disorderly. THEY ACT ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN WILLS AND ARE IDLE BUSYBODIES (2 Thes. 3:11).” Paul here says that he did not go out of his rank or post of duty, but kept his place and discharged his duties at all times and places as a true and tried soldier of Jesus Christ (2 Thes. 3:7). Notice Paul didn't say it was a suggestion.
He says "we command you". Imagine that: A command, in the authority of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to withdraw yourselves from disorderly brothers.
Now consider 2 Thes. 3:14-15: "And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, NOTE that man, and HAVE NO COMPANY WITH HIM, that he may be ashamed. [15] YET, COUNT HIM NOT AS AN ENEMY, but admonish him as a brother." "Admonish" is the word “noutheteo” from the Greek. It means “to put in mind, i.e. (by implication) to caution or reprove gently :- admonish, warn.” Paul tells the church to dis-fellowship anyone who still refuses to obey truth. Count him more an enemy to himself than to you. Continue to admonish him even though you have dis-fellowshipped him for his soul is still of infinite value.
Look at Titus 3:10: "A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;" The Greek word for heretick, “hairetikos”, means "one who maintains OPPOSTION TO TRUTH." Now, Paul says to reject one like this. The Greek word is “paraiteomai” = to beg off. Translated "reject" (Titus 3:10); "avoid" (2 Tim. 2:23); "entreat" (Hebrews 12:19); "make excuse" (Luke 14:18); and "refuse" (Acts 25:11; 1 Tim. 4:7; 1 Tim. 5:11; Hebrews 12:25).
Let's see 1 Tim. 6:3-5: "If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to WHOLESOME words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; [4] He is proud, knowing nothing, but DOTING ABOUT QUESTIONS AND STRIFE OF WORDS, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, [5] Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: FROM SUCH WITHDRAW THYSELF." ([withdraw] Greek: “aphistemi”) Again, Dake comments, “Don't stay with men who are false in an effort to convert them, but get away from them and associate with those of true faith.”
All of these references demonstrate the love of God in just one of its fathomless aspects. Strong terminology? Certainly! - Tough? Absolutely! - Uncompromising? To be sure. However, it’s a love that is perfect, pure and holy and works for and toward our ultimate good.
(To be continued next issue)
Pastor Mike
ctlfwc@yahoo.com
www.calltolife.org
Comment (0)
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Fri, May 19th - 7:40PM
"As We Forgive Those..." (Continued)
“As We Forgive Those...”
[For the next few issues, we will be featuring excerpts from the book "As We Forgive", by Pastor Mike - This is part 2 continued from last month]
Consider Jesus
God is a perfectly balanced God. He is a “common sense” God. Jesus said that if we see, hear and observe Him, we have seen God. So many people have such an unbalanced concept of God’s love. They are either too far right or too far left. Some lean on the “love” side only, while all others know is the “hell-fire, brimstone and judgment” of God.
If you want to honestly see the total truth and balance of God, then observe the Lord Jesus. He had about seven times more to say about hell than He did about Heaven. I can just hear that crowd of Pharisees and people who were of their influence and persuasion as they say, “Humph, this Jesus preaches too hard. He is a brow-beater and basher. He doesn’t preach in love. Why doesn’t He have some good things to say? After all, we aren’t all that bad. We think we’re pretty good folks. We have some lovely people attending our synagogue. All we ever hear from Him is ‘repent, the Kingdom of God is at hand’ or ‘woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites’, and He is always talking about hell! And did you hear about Him going absolutely berserk in the temple the other day. Why He was swinging a whip and running off people. He broke several pieces of beautiful temple furniture and some of the chairs He turned over still had people sitting in them! I dont see any love in this man. Oh no, Hes no preacher of love!"
The Pharisees, like the vast majority of people today, had selective hearing. They didnt focus on all of the wonderful words of Jesus. They only concentrated on what could be seen as negative, especially when taken out of context, because they were looking so intently for something to use against Him.
Out of the 93 times that you see the word Pharisee or Pharisees in the scriptures, rarely are they seen in a very good light. Most of the time when you see them mentioned there is strife, contention, scheming, conniving and even murder tied to them.
They held to the letter of their interpretations of the law and to their own traditions, regardless of whether those traditions nullified the Word of God or not. They were always up to no-good. They were Christ's bitterest enemies.
There are so many today of the very same religious mind-set . They are not called Pharisees now and they are not necessarily Jewish, but they have that same spirit. They are religious leaders in many churches of many denominations who, like the Pharisees of Jesus day, cry and whine, we need to hear more love preached now, we dont hear nearly enough on love, when in reality they dont have a clue as to what the genuine, divine, agape love of God is all about!
I guess on one hand, of course, the Pharisees may have had a reason to think that Jesus didnt like them very much. Check out these verses:
Matthew 5:20 "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."
(Author): "Now Lord, that wasn't a very nice thing to say about someone, was it?"
Matthew 16:6 "Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees."
(Author): “Now Jesus, you must simply stop calling out names, everyone will know who you are talking about!”
Matthew 16:11-12 “How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? [12] Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.”
(Author): “Jesus, don’t you realize that these guys are well respected rulers, teachers, preachers and leaders? Why must you upset the religious system so?”
Matthew 23:13-15 “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. [14] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. [15] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.”
Matthew 23:23 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”
Matthew 23:25-27 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. [26] Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. [27] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.”
Matthew 23:29 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,”
(Author): “Well, now you’ve gone and done it, Lord! These guys are going to hang you out to dry by your thumbs! There, you have gone and just attacked their religious rules and doctrines and way of life. You told them they were rotten to the core, I mean, what’s up with this ‘dead men’s bones’ stuff? Why, they’ll probably go ahead and have you crucified! Well, who can blame them? I mean you have just been down right mean and ugly to these guys. Don’t you realize that if you’ll just show them more love you just might get these guys to cooperate with you a little bit?”
Now, if this is all we ever read from the Word, we would probably have the great misconception about God that much of the world actually does have today. That misconception being that God is a stern, un-loving, cruel God who just sits on a throne with a long white beard, just waiting for you or me to make one little slip up and –POW - He’s gonna swat us like a fly! Of course, anyone who really knows God and His love knows better than this.
Through all of the strife, contention, rhetoric and even His crucifixion, Jesus loved even these hateful, miserable, trouble-making, hypocritical and murderous Pharisees.
This is why the subjects of love, mercy, grace, forgiveness and un-forgiveness are so tragically misunderstood. Because of the woeful lack of a balanced understanding of the love of Christ!
Tough Love
Love isn’t always sunshine and roses or, at least some aspects of it aren’t. A phrase has been coined in recent times called “tough love”. We need to understand that to a large degree, that’s exactly the kind of love that God has and that we saw manifested in Christ. A love that is both tough and tender at the same time in only the miraculous way that God could manifest it.
In several scriptures that I have already referenced we see this, i.e. Christ when He cleansed the temple and His preaching to the Pharisees.
There were actually many, many other instances of “tough love” demonstrated by the Lord. Carefully study this passage in John 6:53-71; “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. [54] Whoso eateth my
flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. [55] For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. [56] He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. [57] As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. [58] This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. [59] These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. [60] Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? [61] When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? [62] What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? [63] It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. [64] But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. [65] And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. [66] From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. [67] Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? [68] Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. [69] And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. [70] Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? [71] He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.”
When we read here what it was that caused such a stir that many of His disciples (there were more than just the original twelve) walked no more with the Lord, someone might say, “Well, naturally all of this talk about eating flesh and drinking blood sounds gory, weird and like something from a horror movie. Anyone would stop following someone talking like this.”
However, we need to understand that no figure of speech was more common to Jews at this time, so there was no excuse for them to misunderstand His words. Eating and drinking is used figuratively of partaking of the benefits of the death of Christ. We partake by faith and enjoy the benefits because God gives them on the basis of what Christ did for us (Ephes. 2:8-9; Romans 3:24-25; Romans 5:1-11; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 3:16; Acts 4:12; Acts 15:9; Acts 26:18; Galatians 2:16-20; Galatians 3:1-26; 1 Peter 1:5-13). Eating is used figuratively of partaking of spiritual food (1 Cor. 10:1-3); of other benefits received (Psalm 69:9; Ezekiel 2:8; Ezekiel 3:1-3; Rev. 10:9); and even of the evil results of sin (Proverbs 9:17; Hosea 10:13; James 5:3).
So, it was not like they didn’t comprehend what He was saying. Their response, “this is a hard saying”, meant that they understood what He was saying but simply were not willing to follow Him in everything. They did not want to totally commit themselves to Him.
Notice we are told that He taught these things in the synagogue. Why is it that in most cases it isn’t popular to teach and preach the truth in synagogues and churches that are supposed to be established and sanctified for this purpose? The Lord Jesus Himself is not really accepted in most religious institutions. I know that isn’t going to win me any popularity contest, but that in itself is a truth that most religious people, will struggle with, including pastors and leaders.
Pastors, we need to ponder this question to ourselves: Just how welcome would Christ be to preach in our pulpit? How uncomfortable would we be if Jesus actually notified us that He was going to minister the Word from our podium this Sunday morning.
No doubt there would be a number of various reactions. Some of us would certainly welcome the Lord and invite Him to have His way. Some of us would worry ourselves to a frazzle about what He might say and who He might offend. Some of us would become sick with anxiety that we would lose our position should He come. Some might even tell Him, “this Sunday is not a good day, Lord, come at a more convenient time”. There would probably be some that would just tell Him not to come at all… ever! However, I must digress, because that’s another book.
So, anyway, these disciples were saying in essence, “Who can digest such a doctrine as this? It is intolerable and impractical.” I have heard this very phrase in various forms and attitudes coming from the lips of “church people”.
But, then the Lord takes it a step further. He asks them, “does this offend you”? Paraphrased, Christ was saying here and in the next couple of verses, “Guys, if eating My flesh and drinking My blood offends you, what if I tell you a harder doctrine? Suppose you saw the Son of Man ascend up to heaven where He was before?”
Then, in verse 63, He gets so plain that there can be no misunderstanding. Again, to paraphrase, “If you could literally eat My flesh and drink My blood, it would not save your souls. The flesh profits nothing. Boys, it is all about the Spirit. When I am giving you the words my father is giving me, I am speaking spiritual life to you, yet some of you still won’t receive or believe what I am saying. The life I speak of is spiritual and eternal life, not fleshly life.”
Then the writer, John, mentions something that is quite profound in itself. A short statement that like so many other brief statements in the Word, goes almost unnoticed. According to verse 64, Jesus knew two things from the beginning of His ministry:
1. He knew that some did not believe.
2. He knew who should betray Him.
More times than few, a pastor will know when going into a new pastorate who will be potential problems and trouble-makers. He knows who those are that won’t receive the Word, or who will be traitorous. I can’t tell you the times I have had a guest minister, such as an evangelist or prophet, and they would sometimes tell me about certain individuals within the congregation who would be a blessing to the ministry or a problem to it.
In none of these instances have I ever told them anything about anyone at all. I am not all-knowing and may be fooled sometimes, but many, if not most times, I can pretty much tell who is not receiving the Word.
Then he makes a statement to the twelve in verse 67. “Will you also go away?” He was saying, “Will you twelve also abandon Me? You that I have saved, chosen out of the world, empowered for service, revealed eternal secrets to, and whom I have great plans for?”
Understand, this was not a pitiful plea such as, “oh, please guys, you aren’t going to leave too, are you?” No, it was more like an invitation: “If you guys feel the same way, no one has chained you down to keep you from leaving either.” Or, like the Southern paraphrase of that says, “Don’t let the door hit you in the rear on your way out.”
Then, Simon Peter, who was but a simple fisherman, sometimes crass, overbearing, outspoken and rough around the edges, spoke up and said perhaps one of the first sensible things he ever said: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that You are that Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Now, you would think that Jesus would have been very pleased and would have answered in a rewarding fashion like, “that’s wonderful Peter, I rejoice because you are obviously grasping the truth and starting to show signs of spiritual growth”, or something along that order.
Why, even in Matthew 16:16 when “Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,” in verse 17 “…Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”
However, His next statement in this passage from John, that we are examining, is a harsh, seemingly unloving and almost verbal assault. He says, “Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?” No “good job, Peter”, but instead, “I have chosen you guys and one of you is a devil”!
I can just imagine what may have been going through Peter’s mind as well as the other disciples. “Lord, that wasn’t a very kind, comforting, loving thing to say after what Peter just said to you.”
Yet, He was the perfect authority on love and forgiveness. In fact, Jesus Christ is divine love and forgiveness personified!
Jesus Was Not A Brow-Beater
Jesus had seven times more to say about hell than He did about Heaven. Why? Was it because He was a basher and brow-beater? Was it because He loved dramatics and sensationalism? Was it because He just liked to start trouble or controversy?
Or rather, was it because He did love people so much and never intended for humanity to go to that awful place? I believe that when we rightly and properly divide the Word we will find it was because He WAS and IS absolute love. Regardless as to whether it’s good or bad, He loves us enough to tell us the truth.
Everyone in ministry must also love people in the same manner. I always tell, especially younger Christians and younger preachers in particular, that you must preach hell, but you must preach Heaven, too. The balance is that if you are going to preach a person into hell, don’t leave them there, show them God’s plan of escape and that He loves them enough to provide a way that they don’t have to go.
How could the apostle Paul write the “love chapter” in First Corinthians chapter thirteen and tell us that if we do anything at all that is not motivated by the “agape” of God we are nothing and it simply doesn’t count for anything, when Jesus was his inspiration and model for writing it. The one motive behind everything that Christ preached, taught and did was - L-O-V-E.
(To be continued next issue)
Pastor Mike
ctlfwc@yahoo.com
www.calltolife.org
Comment (2)
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Tue, May 16th - 3:55PM
From the Pastor's Heart -
From the Pastor's Heart - "AS WE FORGIVE THOSE..."
[For the next few issues, we will be featuring excerpts from the book "As We Forgive", by Pastor Mike.]
“After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. [10] Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. [11] Give us this day our daily bread. [12] And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. [13] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. [14] For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: [15] But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:9-15 - Jesus Christ
Of all the topics the Lord Jesus preached and taught on, forgiveness, the God-kind of forgiveness, was probably one that he emphasized the most. Yet, it is probably the least talked about, least taught, and one of, if not the least practiced of all teachings that ever came from the Master's lips. It is also, probably the most misunderstood of all of the principles taught by Him.
For the most part of 25 years of my ministry, I probably preached and taught on this subject perhaps, more than any other I ever dealt with. It was only until recent years that I actually had the opportunity to put into practice what I was preaching. I will be the first one to say, "It is easier said than done", but it CAN and MUST be done! I thought for so long that I had a handle on this forgiveness thing, but I found out, albeit too quickly and painfully, that I did not. Oh, I understood some of the basic principles, and when it came to dealing with most people I really didn't have a big problem.
Then suddenly, one day, my world came crashing down around me as I was deeply hurt, wounded and betrayed by the one person in the world who, at that time, I so dearly loved and trusted with my very life. Then, I was forced to look at things from an entirely new and different perspective.
Let me say right up front that this book is not written to point fingers at anyone’s faults, shortcomings or sins. It is to relate my experience and what God taught and showed me through my own faults and sins.
One reason that most people have a real problem with forgiveness is that they are approaching it from an emotional standpoint.
Genuine forgiveness is not a matter of the heart; it is a matter of the will. If you wait until you are emotionally able to forgive, then odds are, it "ain't gonna happen"!
It is a matter of making up your mind that you are going to forgive, regardless of how you "feel".
Our experiences certainly are not all exactly alike, but the principles that apply to each situation certainly are. They are principles that are directly from God's Word. Principles, that God knows, will enable healing to such a degree that we can begin to understand the words that He spoke to the Apostle Paul when He said, "My grace is sufficient for thee".
Since my healing, I have encountered so many Christians who have said, "But I can't forgive, you just don't understand, I have such resentment, I have such and such of this and that and the other and etc..." I am here to tell you, YOU CAN FORGIVE!!! That is one of the reasons for this book. Hopefully that others, especially those who have gone through some of the most dramatic and traumatic of experiences, can finally and completely, move on with their lives as they release and forgive "those who trespass against" them.
The Character of God
To begin to understand the principles of love, mercy and forgiveness we must, first of all, gain some insight into God's character. God's character never changes. It is immutable, unchangeable.
However, God can and does change His mind, and He has that privilege, because He is God! His means and methods of doing things may indeed, change from time to time. Several times in His Word He says, "I will do a new thing". Well, it's not new to God. Nothing is new to Him, but it is new to us, the way He sometimes does things. However, God's character, holiness, word and love will never change. On that you can rest assured.
Malachi 3:1-3
One of the greatest passages, I think, that gives to us some great insight into God's character is found in Malachi 3:1-3. It says, "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. [2] But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' sope: [3] And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness."
Of course these are prophetic verses, but without getting too deep into the prophetic, (since that is not our subject) these verses offer some great insight into God's character.
Verse one, obviously refers to John the Baptist preparing the way for the One that "the latchet of whose shoes" he said he was "not worthy to stoop down and unloose." Then, the Lord did "suddenly come to His temple". His first coming was as Savior.
When studying prophetic scripture, one must keep in mind that many, if not most times, prophetic verses have a dual-fold and sometimes, tri-fold meaning and interpretation. Also, where one verse may be referring to one particular time the very next verse could be referring to another different time, which appears to be the case here with verses two and three when they are read in context with verse one.
Verses two and three seem to be referring to another period of time when Christ shall come as Judge. It asks a very poignant question: "But who may abide the day of His coming?"
So, we can see in these verses from Malachi one of the aspects of prophetic scripture. We can see that obviously this passage is dealing with John the Baptist being the forerunner of Christ, the "messenger" sent to "prepare the way". Then we see Christ in His first coming as the "Messenger of the covenant". His first coming, He came as the Saviour of the world. Then we see a change of direction when we move just from verse one to the very next verse. Verse two says, "But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' sope:" You see, it moves now to the time when He shall come as King and Judge. The same God, the same Jesus, the same God of love, mercy and grace is also, the same God of judgment and wrath.
Now, someone is reading this and saying, "Yeah, so what does that have to do with this book?" The fact is, it has everything to do with the subject of “forgiveness”, because we can better understand forgiveness by building a foundation to understanding God's character.
The point I am making is that many people down through the ages, seemingly have this "dual-God" system in the back of their gray matter. Though we may not consciously teach that or say it with our mouths, we many times unconsciously give that impression by how we speak or live. We think that the Old Testament is all about the God of judgment, wrath and anger, but the New Testament is all about the God of mercy, love and grace. However, it is all about one and the same God!
The God of the Old Testament is the God of the New Testament
As stated, God's character and principles never change from Old to New Testament. His character is immutable, unchangeable. His means and methods of doing things may differ from time to time and, according to the Word, God can even change His mind, but His character and principles will never change. Changing His mind has nothing to do with His character. God created us as free moral agents, so He Himself is certainly a free moral Agent. So, even if He does change His mind, He will do so in line with His character, His holiness and His will.
God's character and principles are the same from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament plainly tells us in Malachi 3:6, "For I am the Lord, I change not;” Then the New Testament comes right back to affirm, in Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever."
The Image of God
God created us in His image. This means God breathe into us His traits and characteristics. We have the same capacities of will and emotions that God Himself possesses. God created us (at least most of us) with a sense of humor, and the capacity for laughter. He also created within us the capacity to become angry.
It is no sin to possess the ability, capacity or emotion to become angry. God Himself, we are told in His Word, has that same capacity. He has and does become angry. Jesus said in Matthew 5:22, "But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment:"
Finis J. Dake says concerning this verse, "People must have just and lawful causes to be angry and even then they are to keep their temper under strict control (Ephes. 4:26). The fruit of the Spirit is temperance or self-control (Galatians 5:22)".
Mark 3:5 says of Jesus, “And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.” Even in a state of anger, the Lord Jesus healed a man. Read the entire passage and think about what his tone of voice must have been when he said, “STRETCH FORTH YOUR HAND”!
So, you see God has always been the God of love, mercy, grace, truth and righteousness, but at the same time the God of righteous jealousy, wrath, indignation, anger and judgment. Does one diminish the other? NO! God also showed mercy in the Old Testament as well as judgment in the New Testament.
Jesus said in John 14:9, "...he that hath seen me hath seen the Father." He was saying "look guys, if you want to see the Father, just look at Me. If you want to know what God thinks, how He feels, look at Me. If you want to feel the pulse-beat of God, keep your eyes on Me, open your ears to Me, because if you have seen Me, then I am telling you, you have seen the Father"!
The Compassion of Jesus
Think about this with me for a few moments. The Bible says in several places that Jesus was "moved with compassion", "had compassion" or He said, "I have compassion".
In Mark 5:19, the Bible says, "Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee." In this verse the translation from the Greek is the word "eleeo" pronounced " el-eh-eh'-o". It means “to perform a word or deed by divine grace, to be compassionate (by word or deed, specially by divine grace):- have compassion (pity on), have (obtain, receive, shew) mercy (on)”. In 1 John 4:8, 16 we are told that, "God is love". So, you see when Jesus had compassion on people he was being moved by God!
In other passages another Greek word used for “compassion” is splagchnizomai, pronounced splangkh-nid'-zom-ahee; to have the bowels yearn, i.e. (figurative) feel sympathy, to pity :- have (be moved with) compassion.
Now this is the same Jesus who, in all four Gospels, is recorded to have driven people out of the temple! Can you imagine Jesus running people off from church? Let’s take a look.
First in Matthew 21:12-13 we’re told, “And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, [13] And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.”
Then in Mark 11:15-17 it says, “And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; [16] And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. [17] And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.”
Next, Luke 19:45-46 tells us, “And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; [46] Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.” Understand that this took place immediately after He had been weeping over the city in verses 41- 44.
Finally, John 2:13-17 records “And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, [14] And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: [15] And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; [16] And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. [17] And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.”
So, here we have four accounts and some scholars think it was four different occasions where, the same Jesus of love, mercy, tenderness and forgiveness suddenly, becomes a mad-man and begins to tear up the temple. Can you imagine someone coming into your church building and turning over pews and seats (probably with people still sitting in them) and taking a whip to them and running them out. Cell phones all over the place would be dialing 911 after some attempt to restrain this guy had been made by whatever men were there, by whatever means necessary!
Now, this is the very same Jesus of compassion, now exhibiting great anger. Did these incidents at the temple make Him any less the Son of God? I think not. According to some of my good Pentecostal brethren, He would have lost His sanctification at this point; however, that is hardly the case.
Having the capacity to become angry is not sin. We are created in the image of God, which means far more than just a physical likeness. It means that when the awesome God of glory breathed into humanity the breath of life, and man became a living soul, he took on the characteristics of his Creator.
The Word tells us that God had various emotions at various times. We serve an emotional God, which is why we are emotional beings. However, God is not governed by His feelings or emotions and He doesn’t expect us to be governed by them. Faith, not feelings move Him. I do like to “feel my faith”, but we must be led by His Spirit dealing with our spirit and not allow our emotions to control us. This is an aspect of the soulish realm, which is another teaching altogether.
There is a proper place for emotions. The Bible says that God laughs. Psalm 2:4 says, “He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.” Psalm 37:13, “The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.” Psalm 59:8, “But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision.” God laughs, therefore, we have the emotion of laughter.
Jesus was God incarnate. He was the Son of God. He is very God and very man. The Word tells us in John 11:35 “Jesus wept.” It is the shortest verse in the Bible, yet one of the most powerful verses in the Bible. In essence, God wept, therefore we have the capacity to weep.
God has and does become angry according to numerous scriptures, therefore we have the same emotional quality to become angry. However, as God’s people we must control the anger and not let it control us.
Thank God for emotions, however, forgiveness is exercised, not based on emotion, but on the will. If you are waiting to “feel” like forgiving someone, then you never will. And if you harbor un-forgiveness in your spirit, you are in trouble in more ways than one.
(To be continued next issue)
Pastor Mike
Comment (3)
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Mon, May 15th - 6:01PM
2 Tim. 2 - Seven commands to Timothy
2 Tim. 2 - Seven commands to Timothy Paul gives at least seven commands to young Timothy in this second epistle that he wrote to him.
1. Be strong in the grace that is in Christ (2 Tim. 2:1). Strong in the Greek, endunamoo means to empower, enable, (increase in) strength (-en), be (make) strong. There are many people who are strong in many different areas and in many ways. Some are strong in body, in natural strength. Some have great strength mentally. Sometimes people are referred to as being strong emotionally. Often, people are referred to as being strong in a particular field or occupation. Paul tells Timothy to begin with, to be strong, inwardly, in the inner-man, in his spirit. He tells Timothy to be strong in the grace that is found in Christ Jesus. There are several reasons that we, as Christians, should be strong in grace, among which are:
A. We are saved by the grace of God. Christianity was initiated solely by God's grace and His grace alone. 1 John 4:19 says, "We love him, because he first loved us."
B. We are disciplined by the grace of God. The words disciplined and disciple come from the same root word. There can be no discipleship without discipline. There is no conflict between grace and discipline. Paul writes in Titus 2:11-12 “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, [12] Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;”
C. We are enriched by the grace of God. This same Paul tells us in 2 Cor. 8:9, “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”
D. We are empowered by the grace of God. Again, Paul says in 2 Cor. 12:9, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
E. We are sustained by the grace of God. God gives us strength for each day. He keeps us from falling. When Martin Niemoeller was a prisoner of Hitler during World War II, he wrote a friend, “In the old days I used to be a bearer of the Gospel; now that Gospel is bearing me.”
2. Commit truth to faithful men (2 Tim. 2:2). The Amplified Version of this verse reads, "And the [instructions] which you have heard from me along with many witnesses, transmit and entrust [as a deposit] to reliable and faithful men who will be competent and qualified to teach others also." In other words, Paul is telling Timothy "the doctrines you heard me outline for you before many witnesses when you were ordained (1 Tim. 4:14; 1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 1:6; 2 Tim. 2:2), commit to faithful men the same way they were committed to you."
3. Endure hardness as a good soldier (2 Tim. 2:3).Good = worthy. Just as a good soldier lives up to certain standards, we as soldiers of the Cross have a certain standard to live up to: it's called the Word of God! Good soldiers don't whine, complain, gripe or moan. The follow orders. The Word of God is our mandate from our great Commander and Chief, Jesus Christ! The Amplified Version says, "Take [with me] your share of the hardships and suffering [which you are called to endure] as a good (first-class) soldier of Christ Jesus."
4. Be not entangled with the affairs of this life, so as to please God. In lieu of being a good soldier, Paul goes on to tell Timothy in verse 4, "No soldier when in service gets entangled in the enterprises of [civilian] life; his aim is to satisfy and please the one who enlisted him." (Amp.)
In the KJV it says, "No man that warreth...". That word, "warreth" means: to serve in a military campaign; to contend with carnal inclinations. He goes on to use the word, "entangleth" which means: gets involved with . Of course, Paul is making it clear that just as a natural soldier, a good soldier, knows that when he is in warfare or conflict or in military service, he belongs to the military; he is not his own. Even more so, when we are a soldier of Christ, the Bible tells us in 1 Cor. 6:19-20 "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? [20] For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." Then in 1Cor. 7:23 "Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men." I am a soldier. I do not get involved with anything that is not the business of the Kingdom of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! I refuse to become entangled by the trappings of this world!
5. Strive lawfully for the crown (2 Tim. 2:5). Again, the Amplified reads: "And if anyone enters competitive games, he is not crowned unless he competes lawfully (fairly, according to the rules laid down)." Then in verse 6, he says, "[It is] the hard-working farmer [who labors to produce] who must be the first partaker of the fruits." Just as a good soldier lives up to certain standards, an athlete obeys the rules of the game to win, and a farmer tills according to natural laws of agriculture to get a crop, so we as Christians, must live up to the rules if we expect a crown and eternal fruit.
6. Consider what I say-the truth (2 Tim. 2:7). "Think over these things I m saying [understand them and grasp their applications], for the Lord will grant you full insight and understanding in everything." (Amp.)
7. Remember, make Christ's resurrection a chief theme of the gospel (2 Tim. 2:8).(Amp.)“Whatever we suffer, remember Jesus and His sufferings. If God raised Him up, He will also do the same for us.”
In Conclusion, verses 9-13 “I suffer as a criminal and gladly endure it for the elect's sake that they may be saved eternally.” (v.13) If we deny the faith and apostatize, He is as true to His threatenings as He is to His promises. He cannot lie and act contrary to His Word or to Himself, so He is as much under obligation to curse for sin as to bless for righteousness. Therefore, let us “...seek ...first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness;” (Matthew 6:33) Let us seek the King Himself, to please Him, so that “...all these things [blessings] shall be added unto you.”
Michael Parnell, A.Th. Visit the C.T.L. Web Site: www.CallToLife.org Join KINGDOM TALK Forum: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CTLKingdomTalk/?yguid=177991159
Comment (2)
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Tue, May 9th - 2:23PM
When God Cannot Be Found
 When God Cannot Be Found
Isaiah 55:6 ? ?Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:?
This verse in Isaiah suggests a time when men cannot find God. I don?t know about you, but to me, that is a frightening prospect. I never want to see the time that I cannot find the Lord, because the fact is, I need Him ALL of the time!
Sadly, however, there are times when people simply cannot find God and the Bible mentions at least six of these times: 1. When they turn their hearts away from Him and will not hear. Check out Deut. 30:17-18 ?But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; [18] ?I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.?
It is an extremely dangerous thing to turn our hearts away from God and not hear Him. Most of the time, we think of those who are lost who keep turning their hearts away, however, a very sad fact is that many of God?s own people sometimes fall into this same trap. Sometimes it may be professing, but not possessing, Christians or people who have ?religion?, but not a real relationship with Jesus, who get ensnared into this hard-heartedness. Whatever the category, it is a dangerous thing to turn our hearts from Him instead of toward Him ? to not hear Him instead of listen to Him. Over and over before I have stated that it was ?religion? that crucified Christ. His bitterest enemies during His earthly ministry were religious leaders and religious-minded people. You know what? They STILL are!
Take a look at His soul-piercing words in Matthew 13:13-15: ?Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. 14And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: 15For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.?
Jesus was telling this crowd of religious people, as well as people today, that they can see, but they refuse to see; they can hear, but they refuse to hear; they are capable of understanding, but they refuse to accept the truth, desiring to hold on to their old religious traditions and professions in preference to walking in the light of new truth. In a condition or attitude like that, God cannot be found!
2. When they mock God and scorn at His dealings until calamity comes. Proverbs 1:23-31 - ?Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. 24Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; 25But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 26I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 27When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 28Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 29For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord: 30They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 31Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.?
Wisdom is personified here indicating that every man is endowed with natural faculties to know right from wrong and to make godly decisions.
God says in verse 28 when this condition prevails that He will not answer. Yes, God is a gracious, loving, kind, compassionate and patient God, but there can be a point where even His patience wears thin and He says, ?I have had enough?. He will not be found! 3. When they become too proud and stubborn to humble themselves before Him. Just read the entire account of Korah, Dathan and Abiram in Numbers 16. Korah the Levite, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath (Exodus 6:18,21,24), began a rebellion against Moses, with Dathan and Abiram cooperating, because they wanted more authority in the congregation and contended that Moses and Aaron had too much. They caused 250 of Israel's chief princes to rebel (Numbers 16:1-3). Ultimately, 14,700 died (Numbers 16:49) besides the original rebels and their families (Numbers 16:29-34), and the 250 princes (Numbers 16:35). Korah's object was not to abolish the distinction between the Levites and the people, but to win the priesthood for himself and his kinsmen (Numbers 16:10). This design was hidden under the pretext that all the people were holy and should be equal.
Today, the Church in America is plagued by this same spirit. People who refuse to submit to authority as outlined by the Word of God! We live in a society that for several generations has tried to run God?s house like the U.S. Government, however, the Church that Jesus is building, the Church in the Old and New Testaments was NEVER, I repeat, NEVER a democracy. It was and is to be a THEOCRACY, meaning that God is its government and His program is to be what dictates it?s actions and policies.
There is never anywhere in scripture where God?s leader was ever put up to a vote by ?the people?. Jesus appointed the 12 apostles, no one voted on their apostleship. This is another reason that in many churches across this country and around the world, God cannot be found!
4. When they neglect to settle all matters with Him until judgment falls. Study the account of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11. The names, ?Ananias? and ?Sapphira? mean ?grace? and ?beauty? respectively, but their names do not fit their conduct. They were disciples of Christ and members of the apostolic church of which no man would belong unless he had a real experience of salvation. This we have to conclude because the church was hated and persecuted (Acts 4:1-4,17; Acts 5:13,17-18,27-42; Acts 8:1; etc.). It was also repeatedly stated that all were of "one accord" and one mind who did belong to the church (Acts 1:14; Acts 2:1,46; Acts 24:32-37). Acts 5:3 says, ?But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?? Satan filled their hearts with greed! This was what caused them to hold back part of the price of the land and so lie to the Holy Ghost! Instead of repenting of this grievous sin, they followed through with it and died in it! They had struck such a bargain with the devil that God could not be found in their hearts. You see verse 4 tells us that Peter asked them ??why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.? This implies careful and planned deception, not a sudden act and James 1:13-15 tells us, ?Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: [14] But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. [15] Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.? Oh, dear friend, if there is anything in your heart that needs to be ?made right with the Master?, as some of the older folks used to say, then do it now! Repent, lest you die in your sin, which brings us to our next point concerning when God cannot be found. 5. When they die in sin. Hebrews 9:27 says, ?And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:? Man has an inescapable appointment! The Greek word for appointment, ?apokeimai?, means to be laid up in store; be in reserve. It is appointed or laid up by divine decree: "Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return" (Genesis 3:19). This law of death will hold firm for all men until the time when death will be destroyed and all things will be restored as they were before Adam sinned (Rev. 20:7-10; Rev. 21:1-22; 1 Cor. 15:24-28). Death, however, as it stands now, ends probation. After death the judgment, not a second chance to live on earth and be saved. Death ends all probation for the one who dies. If he is righteous at death, his soul and spirit go to heaven awaiting the resurrection of the body (2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:21-24; Hebrews 12:23; Rev. 6:9-11). If he is wicked at death his soul and spirit go to hell to await the resurrection of his body (Luke 16:19-31; Isaiah 14:9; Rev. 20:11-15). There is no such thing as purgatory or a second chance to be on probation in the Millennium or any other time. Neither is there a reincarnation or a transmigration from body to body. My friend, when that last breath is taken on this earth, whatever decision you have made concerning Christ will be what determines where and how you spend eternity. The Bible teaches us in Eccles. 11:3b, ??in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.? At that point, if the proper preparation has not been made, God cannot be found! 6. When they blaspheme the Holy Spirit. Matthew 12:31-32 - ?Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.? Blasphemy is any insulting remark or curse, even attributing to Satan the works of the Holy Spirit. It is unforgivable if it is done maliciously and knowingly, as here and in Hebrews 6:4-9; Hebrews 10:26-31; 1 Tim. 1:13. This is a topic in which we will deal with a little deeper in detail at a later time, because there is so much to cover concerning it. In this passage in Matthew, however, we get some tremendous insight. Jesus had just finished performing a healing miracle and is met with opposition from, who else, but the Pharisees, the religious mind-set. To make a long story short, they accused Him of healing, casting out devils and other miracles by the power of the devil. Jesus goes into a discourse on a kingdom being divided against itself, and makes a very emphatic point. The miracles that He performed were done in the power of the Holy Spirit operative in His life. He was letting these religious idiots know that it is a dangerous thing to attribute something that God the Holy Ghost does to being a work of the devil.
How many times in this day and age have I heard others doing the same? I believe that many times these people are in such ignorance, that they are spared the wrath of God. I have heard non-Pentecostals and others make fun of Pentecostals, healings, speaking in tongues and other miracles in general. My mom always said ?a word to the wise should be sufficient.? Be careful that you do not wrongfully credit satan with something that God has done or is doing! If you don?t know or aren?t sure, the best policy is to just keep your mouth shut, for your own sake. You do not want to find yourself in a place where God cannot be found! So, there are times and circumstances when God cannot be found, but I am glad that God is the loving, gracious, merciful, kind Heavenly Father that He is. He has made provision such that He CAN be found. If we will seek, repent, call upon Him, confess, pray, humble ourself, hear and obey, according to the many passages of scriptures that refer to all of these, God can and will be found! Pastor Mike -------------------------------- Visit the C.T.L. Web Site: www.CallToLife.org Join KINGDOM TALK Forum: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CTLKingdomTalk/?yguid=177991159
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Tue, May 9th - 11:53AM
Lessons We Can Learn From Caleb
PRACTICAL LESSONS FOR TODAY THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM CALEB
Joshua 14:14 - "Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel."
One of my favorite personalities in the Word of God is a fellow by the name of Caleb. Usually we hear his name mentioned in conjunction with Joshua, with Joshua usually receiving most of the attention. However, Caleb was a man who possessed some of the most powerful characteristics of any man or woman of God who ever lived.
Caleb was a man of vitality and vision. These two qualities will always lead to spiritual victory! He realized his blessing from God because the Word teaches us that he "wholly followed the Lord." The Bible makes this statement about him and Joshua, but it says it more concerning Caleb.
What does it mean when it says that he "wholly", or completely or fully followed the Lord? Of course, it means that Caleb was fully and totally obedient to the Lord. OBEDIENCE IS THE FIRST LAW OF GOD'S KINGDOM! Partial obedience is not obedience at all.
Romans 6:16 says, "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"
There are millions today who have not yet learned these simple facts?that you cannot be a servant of sin and Satan and a servant of righteousness and Christ at the same time; that if you commit sin you are a servant of sin and Satan (John 8:34; 1 John 3:8) and not a Christian; that if you sin, Satan is your master and not Christ and that sin is the service of Satan and righteousness is the service of God.
Christ Himself set the ultimate example in obedience for us. Hebrews 5:8 says, "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;"
Caleb was a man who stood firm and held to his principles. Of course, his principles were founded upon God's Word! When you take a stand, be sure it is based on and from the Word, not on a personal whim, prejudice or opinion.
There are many examples of how we can get in trouble with God when we allow ourselves to operate outside of His Word. Take Miriam for example. The Bible tells us that she was a prophetess and a worship leader in the congregation of the Lord. Exodus 15:20-21 says, "And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. [21] And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea."
Many times problems in the church occur between different ministry gifts and offices, and I am here to tell you, it is very displeasing to the Lord, according to His Word! Notice that Miriam's name in the Hebrew is Miryam (pronounced - meer-yawm') and it means rebelliously. It is a derivative of the Hebrew word meriy (mer'ee) which means bitterness. Extended it means rebellion, concrete bitter or rebellious.
Look what happens in this incident recorded in Numbers 12:1-5, 9-15. "And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. [2] And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it. [3] (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) [4] And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. [5] And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. [6] And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. [7] My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. [8] With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? [9] And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed. [10] And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous. [11] And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned. [12] Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb. [13] And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee. [14] And the Lord said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again. [15] And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again."
Miriam, along with Aaron, rebelled against Moses, who was not only their pastor, but their own brother. Miriam had a problem with Moses taking Zipporah to be his wife. Aaron must have been secretly jealous to follow her in such ungodliness.
However, the issue of Moses' wife was not what really motivated Aaron and Miriam to speak against Moses; it was just a cover to hide the fact that they were jealous of their younger brother and his success. Miriam, one of Israel's prophetesses, enjoyed the position of first rank among the women of Israel (Exodus 15:20-21), being the sister of the two chief men of the nation. She caused the rebellion, without a doubt, because she thought she was being supplanted by a foreigner.
Jethro had brought the wife and sons of Moses from Midian to Sinai in order to reunite the family. Furthermore, he had given advice which Moses followed in making leaders over 10's, 50's, 100's, and 1,000's in Israel (Exodus 18:14-26). Moses had invited his father-in-law and brother-in-law to go along with them to be leaders by showing them the best places to camp (Numbers 10:29-33).
It displeased Miriam to see these newcomers given such attention; and her resentment was shared by Aaron, the ecclesiastical head of Israel. The two of them challenged Moses' right to serve as the leader of the whole nation; but Miriam seems to have been the chief instigator of this ungodliness, for punishment fell on her alone (Numbers 12:10-15). Aaron was simply misled by the pleadings of his sister; he yielded to her as he did once before to the desires of the people who urged him to sin (Exodus 32). Thus again his weakness of character showed up, a trait that would have disqualified him for taking the place of Moses his younger brother.
So, you see there a number of lessons for the Church, right here in this one passage. Notice, God does not take rebellion of any kind lightly, but especially where it concerns His Church or Congregation. This is "the church in the wilderness" referred to in Acts 7:38. When God sets someone in place as the pastor, leader, chief elder, etc., rebellion against that assignment simply is not too intelligent, since it is considered rebellion against God Himself. Even if that leader is your natural brother, God does not excuse the rebellion.
Look at verse two: "And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it. All things are naked and open before God, as Paul declared in Hebrews 4:12-13. Oh Christian, be oh so careful before you start to criticize, murmur and complain against God's leadership. Don't forget that the Lord HEARS it! And when He hears it, it doesn't go ignored or unpunished.
He calls for a meeting with with Miriam, Aaron and Moses at the "tabernacle of the congregation". Check it out in verses 4-9: "And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. [5] And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. [6] And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. [7] My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. [8] With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? [9] And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them; and he departed."
Now, understand that God's anger is not like human, earthly, emotional anger. His is a righteous, pure, holy, perfect anger, which is far more terrible to face if that anger is directed at us. In fact, notice that God became so angry He finally had to just leave. Have you ever gotten to the place where your anger was approaching a point where it would be best if you just leave?
We never think of it like this, but just imagine God becoming that angry! It's like He had to leave and cool off before He did some major damage. I don't know about you, but I desire not to cross God at all, but I certainly don't want to be on the recieving end of that side of Him.
In verse 7, when God said, "My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house", He was saying to Miriam and Aaron, in essence, it is bad enough to rebel against my prophets, but Moses was not an ordinary prophet. He was much more.
First, he was a servant over God's house (Numbers 12:7; Hebrews 3:1-6). Israel is called God's house in the same sense as the New Testament church (Galatians 6:10; Ephes. 2:19; 1 Tim. 3:15; Hebrews 3:6; Hebrews 10:21; 1 Peter 2:5; 1 Peter 4:17).
Then, He spoke with God "mouth to mouth" (Numbers 12:8). God and Moses actually saw each other and spoke face to face with audible voices (Exodus 33:11; Numbers 14:14; Deut. 5:4; Deut. 34:10; cp. Joshua 6:22; 2 John 1:12). Moses received God's Word directly and plainly, not through dreams, visions, parables, or dark sayings.
Now Miriam and Aaron, having should have known and understood this, God says to them, "why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant, Moses"? In other words, "don't you guys have any better sense than that? Not to bright, you two."
Another thing that angered God was the prejudice that was demonstrated by Miriam and Aaron. Now I was very misunderstood on this point one time, however, I am sorry friends, but there is no place for prejudice of ANY KIND in the Body of Christ! I made the statement one time that Moses was married to a black woman, since Zipporah was from Ethiopia. I was accused of promoting interracial marriages.
Allow me to clarify this. I do not "promote" or encourage interracial marriages, but it is not based on prejudice. I simply caution people concerning the ramifications and reactions they may get from their families and the society or culture in which they live. It is simply a matter of wisdom that must be considered, depending on your location and situation. On the other hand, in all honesty let me say, there is nothing in the Word of God whatsoever that condemns it. God certainly honored the marriage of Moses and Zipporah and, in fact, came to Moses' defense when it was challenged by Miriam and Aaron.
Notice Miriam's punishment. Numbers 12:10: "And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous." It was like God was saying "Okay, you want white, I'll give you white"! Friend, this was leprosy in it's final stages.
Miriam's next step was the grave, so you tell me how God feels about it.
"Extreme", you say? Maybe so, but the rebellion stopped at the first sign of judgment, when Aaron begged Moses to be merciful. Few think of mercy for others until they need it for themselves. Notice also, they had to go to the very one that they murmured against to ask for healing! As usual, Moses not only showed meekness in the face of bitter opposition to himself, but also mercy and forgiveness.
So Moses begged the Lord to heal her, but notice, God is quick to forgive, but not always so quick and instant to restore as we like to think He is. Look at His answer in verse 14. He says in essence, "If her earthly father had spit in her face, she would have been greatly humiliated; how much more should she be humiliated when rejected by God for sin?" And just like here, spitting in the face was held by orientals as a sign of great contempt.
Forgiveness is not always easy to get from man, but from God, who is all merciful, it is given for the asking. Yet, forgiveness does not always necessarily avert punishment. For Miriam's punishment she was quarantined for seven days. By now she was between eighty-five and ninety years old, making it all the more humiliating.
This was the first place that Israel had camped for several days after leaving Sinai. Miriam's sin caused them to remain here at least seven days. A clear example that murmuring, complaining, rebellion and sin not only affects the one who is committing it, but if not dealt with, like a cancer, it will spread and infect/affect the church body, thus deterring the work of the Kingdom!
So, we see that Caleb took a stand based on God's Word! Caleb's attitude was that there is right and there is wrong and I will stand for what is right - regardless of the cost! If all the world is standing for the wrong, I will be the one to stand for what is right, according to God's Word!
God will always vindicate righteousness. For Caleb it took 45 years of faithful obedience. GOD NEVER FORGETS FAITHFULNESS! Psalm 11:7 tells us, "For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright." Then again the psalmist says in Psalm 37:25, "I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." This is literally true in all generations. His seed is so blessed (Psalm 37:26), there is no need to beg. If a truly righteous man appropriates the smallest part of the promises of God he cannot be considered forsaken by God; nor does he need to beg bread.
However, it must be God's righteousness, not our own! Paul tells us in Romans 10:3 "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." Therefore, he tells us in Philip. 3:9 that we must "... be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:" Man's righteousness is not enough. God's righteousness comes through Christ, by faith.
Now when that happens, Psalm 64:10 declares that "The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and shall trust in him; and all the upright in heart shall glory." Jesus Himself tells us in Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."
Such was the case with Caleb! The phrase "hunger and thirst after" is an idiom for a strong desire. The Word tells us that Caleb wholly, entirely, completely followed the Lord. He had that strong desire, he hungered and thirsted so much for a right relationship with God that he sought to love and follow the Lord in every aspect. He desired God's blessing on he and his family so strongly out of and because of His love relationship with the Lord. Caleb knew that all good things come from God!
If you and I desire God's blessings in our life, the question we must ask ourself is: HOW OBEDIENT AM I TO ALL THAT GOD COMMANDS? Am I wholly following Him?
---------------------------------- Visit the C.T.L. Web Site: www.CallToLife.org Join KINGDOM TALK Forum: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CTLKingdomTalk/?yguid=177991159
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Tue, May 9th - 11:25AM
So, You Say Jesus Died For You?
 So, You Say Jesus Died For You?
This question is obviously addressed to professing Christians. If theanswer to this question is "yes", then the other obvious question is,why do we not live like it?
In our "Americanizing" or "Westernizing" of Christianity, something ofthe utmost, prime importance has been gotten away from to the extentthat, for the most part, it is pretty much altogether left out of whatit means to be a Christian.
If we really believe what the Apostle Paul says in Ephes. 5:25,"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, andgave himself for it;" then, why are we not living like we believe it?I am not being mean, ugly or judgmental, although the Word does tellus in 1 Peter 4:17, "For the time is come that judgment must begin atthe house of God:" I am certainly not being legalistic, for I myselfdetest legalism that holds God's people in bondage. However, there aresome things that God demands, indeed commands us to do, that aresimply for our own benefit, protection and blessing!
When I refer to Ephes. 5:25, I am not referring to the first part of the verse concerning husbands. It is an important subject, of course,and all of us husbands do need to learn the principle Paul isconveying. But, so many times we overlook the second part of the verseand the undeniable, overwhelming truth it speaks in volumes to us, andthat truth is: "Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;"
Pause for a moment and let that sink in. Christ loved the Church, theBody, the assembly of believers, so much so that he shed His blood,died and arose from the dead, all for her, the Church!We can make any excuses we want about how "church attendance isoptional", or "I just don't have the time", or "I have to have timewith my family" or we have this meeting or this get together, orwhatever, but the fact is that none of our excuses hold water in light of Scripture.
While many of the organizations and activities are not sin, in fact,many are very positive and even Christian based and are good thingsfor us to involve ourselves in, to a degree, however, the plain factis that Christ did not give Himself and die for the Country Club, theP.T.O., ballgames or sports, beach houses, AA, AARP, NAACP, politics,the Republican or Democratic parties, birthday parties, new homes, newcars, Sunday drives, family visits and a host of other things we giveourselves to. CHRIST DIED FOR THE CHURCH!
Not enough time for the Church? With all due respect and the love ofChrist, I tell you, we have really bought into some false teaching ifwe are a professing Christian and are swallowing that.
Years ago, "family time" WAS time spent in church. Our kids today aredoing some crazy stuff and we sit back, scratch our heads and say,"Oh, this generation of kids has just gone mad". However, since Istarted with a question, I'll close with one: Could it be that whatthe kids have been taught, and the examples shown by us to them ofwhat Christianity is supposed to be, just may be the bulk of, if notthe problem? We have made the church out to be some social club,however, Christ did not die for social clubs, and with the many otherScriptures that speak in volumes concerning this, the bottom line isthat "Christ... gave himself for it ( the Church);"
You may be saying, "Well, Pastor Mike, I thought Jesus died forsinners." He certainly did and sinners, once they are saved and bornagain they become saints and that's what the Church is made up of -saints that were once sinners, but have been transformed by His bloodwashing their sins away and the Spirit of Adoption taking us into theFamily of God. We become His family, His bride, His body, - His Church!
Someone is saying, "but, what about people who are not physically ableto get to a church building to meet with God's people?" God is acommon sense God and knows if it is a genuine reason or just an excuseand He will deal accordingly. In fact, those are some of the peoplethat we need to be taking the Church to.
His Word makes provision for every facet of our lives.Again, the bottom line is that Christ gave Himself for the Church.Since that's the case, then church attendance must be, not justimportant, but imperative. I know we are to BE the Church, but part ofthat being is assembling with the Body.
----------------------------- Visit the C.T.L. Web Site: www.CallToLife.org Join KINGDOM TALK Forum: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CTLKingdomTalk/?yguid=177991159
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Name: Michael Parnell
