Unrealistic Expectations
1 Kings 19
Elijah Escapes from Jezebel
1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." 3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 9
9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
In the book of First Kings, chapter Nineteen, we find the mighty prophet Elijah, hiding in a cave from an evil woman named Jezebel. Elijah has just come off an intensely high spiritual experience and found circumstances in his life to be different than what he had hoped for.
Elijah is not that different from you and I, according to James 5;17, he's a guy that we can relate to, he reacted emotionally and not always in a rational manner. I think that inside each & everyone of us, is a picture of somebody that doesn't do such things. And it seems like in ways that are subtle, usually; we strive to be like whoever or whatever that pic is in our minds.
Elijah was upset because his actions didn't bring about change, not to the extent he would have liked. Even though he did what God pretty much wanted him to do, he was disappointed, discouraged, and disillusioned.
Sometimes friends of ours will say something coy like," well, what did you expect?" That's got me thinking, because we're seldom disappointed if we didn't expect much to begin w/. Think about it. When you get a surprise amount of money in the mail that you didn't expect, are you ever disappointed? How about when unexpected circumstances cause you to, miracle of miracles, lose weight without your realization, are you disappointed? Never, unless you're bulimic and if you are, that's a little disappointing.
Doesn't it make you wonder if maybe our perspectives are a bit skewed? Why not expect your car to break down, your kids to lose their minds in front of your boss, and your favorite shirt to excrete extract of cherry tomato?
Where should our hope lie? In whom should we place it? And if we do that, and I mean trusting it into Jesus' hands, what does that look like? Should we expect pain free living? No, that's unrealistic but, what changes us? What causes you and I to seek God like sweet potatoes on a Kansas hitchhiker?
I want to suggest to you that it's what He gives us. What does Christ give us? Sometimes for me, it's perspective. A glimpse that my worries are often out of proportion. Other times, it's the realization that we can make it; we can get through this drudgery, and maybe even get some joy along the way. One of the ways I know this is that I almost always find some poor schmuck along the way, who's encountering what I've encountered. And my attitude tends to be very gracious when I realize I'm not there today, where I used to be yesterday. Expect it.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Some Clear Signs that Your Spouse Could Be in Fact, Addicted to Bibles
Some Clear Signs that Your Spouse Could Be in Fact, Addicted to Bibles
· Your anonymous spouse, that in no way has a name similar to that of Chuck, Charles, or Charley, refers to his bible in the feminine pronoun
· Your spouse without a name has a certain proclivity towards carrying a bible to places that don't indeed warrant the presence of the aforementioned book, namely the carwash, turtle races, or your child's sandbox
· Your loving dovey has a tendency to caress the pages, spine, and or cover of the said bible in the grocery store and or methadone clinic
· Your living term of endearment budgets bibles right up there w/ toiletries, your children's college fund, and possible birth-control devices
· When your child inquires about a future sport in which the two of you are to bond in harmonious father-son paternal bliss, you ask," Old or New Testament?"
· You find your smoochie whoochie debating over potential friends, who could, one day inherit said bibles due to accidental death, and he or she ranks them in categories such as NIV worthy
· You find yourself after buying the one true love of your life bible, complete w/ one of a kind bible cover, maybe one that others have the inability to obtain themselves, and yet two days later, asks the anonymous spouse," Sweetums, uhmmm, how do you feel about the 1909 edition, I mean, could we relive every waking marital, chick flick, just between us, a moment in paradise exchange, I mean, if the off chance of such a trivial textual purchase coincides w/ your heart that truly loves, honors, and cherishes my greater advancement in sweet biblical knowledge?
· Imagine.
· Your anonymous spouse, that in no way has a name similar to that of Chuck, Charles, or Charley, refers to his bible in the feminine pronoun
· Your spouse without a name has a certain proclivity towards carrying a bible to places that don't indeed warrant the presence of the aforementioned book, namely the carwash, turtle races, or your child's sandbox
· Your loving dovey has a tendency to caress the pages, spine, and or cover of the said bible in the grocery store and or methadone clinic
· Your living term of endearment budgets bibles right up there w/ toiletries, your children's college fund, and possible birth-control devices
· When your child inquires about a future sport in which the two of you are to bond in harmonious father-son paternal bliss, you ask," Old or New Testament?"
· You find your smoochie whoochie debating over potential friends, who could, one day inherit said bibles due to accidental death, and he or she ranks them in categories such as NIV worthy
· You find yourself after buying the one true love of your life bible, complete w/ one of a kind bible cover, maybe one that others have the inability to obtain themselves, and yet two days later, asks the anonymous spouse," Sweetums, uhmmm, how do you feel about the 1909 edition, I mean, could we relive every waking marital, chick flick, just between us, a moment in paradise exchange, I mean, if the off chance of such a trivial textual purchase coincides w/ your heart that truly loves, honors, and cherishes my greater advancement in sweet biblical knowledge?
· Imagine.
The Bible; A Blessing to Choose or...
The Bible; A Blessing to Choose or
A Before Bedtime Snooze?
Before I became a Christian, when I was working w/ other alcoholics, I knew that they would experience insomnia when they would try to sleep at night. So I told them to read a boring book at night to help them sleep. I told them to read the bible.
Some time after that, different people would come to my apartment & share different things out of the bible and I would really get a lot out of what they told me. After they would leave though, I'd go to read my own bible and still find it lifeless and difficult to understand.
One of the things that showed me God had changed my life when I became a Christian was that I had a desire to read the bible. It clearly had not been the case prior to me meeting Christ. Since that time, January of 94, I find that I go through seasons.
There are times when I want to start in the book of Genesis and read all the way through. Other times, I look for particular books and I slowly digest chunks of those scriptures, a little bit at a time. What makes me wonder though, is that I run into a lot of Christians, teens & adults alike, that don't really seem to desire reading the bible very much. Does anybody have any insight into why that may be?
A Before Bedtime Snooze?
Before I became a Christian, when I was working w/ other alcoholics, I knew that they would experience insomnia when they would try to sleep at night. So I told them to read a boring book at night to help them sleep. I told them to read the bible.
Some time after that, different people would come to my apartment & share different things out of the bible and I would really get a lot out of what they told me. After they would leave though, I'd go to read my own bible and still find it lifeless and difficult to understand.
One of the things that showed me God had changed my life when I became a Christian was that I had a desire to read the bible. It clearly had not been the case prior to me meeting Christ. Since that time, January of 94, I find that I go through seasons.
There are times when I want to start in the book of Genesis and read all the way through. Other times, I look for particular books and I slowly digest chunks of those scriptures, a little bit at a time. What makes me wonder though, is that I run into a lot of Christians, teens & adults alike, that don't really seem to desire reading the bible very much. Does anybody have any insight into why that may be?
A Handful of Cat Poo by Chuck Rhein
A Handful of Cat Poo by Chuck Rhein
· I accidentally grasped a handful of cat poo
· This was not due to a lack or a void of cat poo in my life
· I did not subscribe to any cat poo activities that would somehow fulfill my civic minded duty to the town in which I currently reside
· I did not participate in any type of a counseling scenario where options were presented to me so I could in fact better my life or that of my families' life by securing a firm grasp on a large deposit of cat poo
· To my knowledge, I did not better the environment nor aid in the reduction of Hydroflurocarbons in the atmosphere by firmly adjoining my finger tips to the cat deposit of pure love
· The organization in which I am currently employed, did not have it's cause advanced by my medieval method of being connected to cat poo
· There was no greater closeness achieved between myself & the cat of which my fingers bathed themselves in essence of Rosie and or Figaro
· I was not given any new revelation or insight as to why through the ages, man has lost his opportunities to advance, breakthrough unforeseen barriers, to somehow embrace the essence of what the Egyptians so wonderfully understood as cat worship, by my having embraced the textured mass of cat poo
· I was not given a valuable business commodity as to one day potentially burn cat poo in our cars as a fossil fuel by grasping the fantabulous handful of shared cat blessings
· No my friends, I grabbed a handful of pure colorful joy simply to get the proper perspective of how short & fleeting a vacation in this life is, and that if I'm truly given the gift of cat poo, I should happily leap for joy and make lemonade, post cat poo.
· I accidentally grasped a handful of cat poo
· This was not due to a lack or a void of cat poo in my life
· I did not subscribe to any cat poo activities that would somehow fulfill my civic minded duty to the town in which I currently reside
· I did not participate in any type of a counseling scenario where options were presented to me so I could in fact better my life or that of my families' life by securing a firm grasp on a large deposit of cat poo
· To my knowledge, I did not better the environment nor aid in the reduction of Hydroflurocarbons in the atmosphere by firmly adjoining my finger tips to the cat deposit of pure love
· The organization in which I am currently employed, did not have it's cause advanced by my medieval method of being connected to cat poo
· There was no greater closeness achieved between myself & the cat of which my fingers bathed themselves in essence of Rosie and or Figaro
· I was not given any new revelation or insight as to why through the ages, man has lost his opportunities to advance, breakthrough unforeseen barriers, to somehow embrace the essence of what the Egyptians so wonderfully understood as cat worship, by my having embraced the textured mass of cat poo
· I was not given a valuable business commodity as to one day potentially burn cat poo in our cars as a fossil fuel by grasping the fantabulous handful of shared cat blessings
· No my friends, I grabbed a handful of pure colorful joy simply to get the proper perspective of how short & fleeting a vacation in this life is, and that if I'm truly given the gift of cat poo, I should happily leap for joy and make lemonade, post cat poo.
Bullet-Proof
When We're Feeling Less than
Bullet-Proof
I have found when circumstances, problems, people,
Expectations, disappointments, family let-downs,
Finances, affairs of the heart, or just because it
Happens to be a Tuesday, even if I just happen to
Be breathing and it hurts just to be in your own skin,
There is One and I mean only One, who knows about
Your suffering. And this is what He has to say about
It: If God is for us, who can be against us? He who
did not spare His own Son, but
delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with
Him also freely give us all things? 33
Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? 34 Who
is he who condemns? It is Christ
who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even
at the right hand of God, who also
makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us
from the love of Christ? Shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword?
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor
angels nor principalities nor powers,
nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height
nor depth, nor any other created
thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of
God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Bullet-Proof
I have found when circumstances, problems, people,
Expectations, disappointments, family let-downs,
Finances, affairs of the heart, or just because it
Happens to be a Tuesday, even if I just happen to
Be breathing and it hurts just to be in your own skin,
There is One and I mean only One, who knows about
Your suffering. And this is what He has to say about
It: If God is for us, who can be against us? He who
did not spare His own Son, but
delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with
Him also freely give us all things? 33
Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? 34 Who
is he who condemns? It is Christ
who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even
at the right hand of God, who also
makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us
from the love of Christ? Shall
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword?
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor
angels nor principalities nor powers,
nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height
nor depth, nor any other created
thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of
God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Daniel
How many ways is Daniel a type of Christ?
* Ezekiel 14;14 says the three most righteous OT saints were; Job, Noah, and Daniel
* Daniel actually fits into an even smaller category, as there is nothing negative written about him in scripture. This refers to people who's characters are developed, excluding people like Enoch.
· 1;6 says he's from the lineage of Judah, like Christ
· Both Jesus and Daniel saved the lives of their friends while in captivity by an action that nobody else could do, Jesus died for our sins, the perfect sinless sacrifice. While Daniel interpreted the dream of Nebuchadnezzar that no one else could.
· It's interesting that Daniel wrote his book in both Hebrew and Aramaic; Hebrew being the language of the God's chosen people, Aramaic the language of the Gentiles. Jesus died and by doing so, grafted in us Gentiles to become part of the Jew & Gentile church of Christ
· Both Jesus and Daniel magnify the Father; Dan. 2:20="Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom & power belong to Him."
· I find it interesting that Daniel is missing while his three friends are in the fiery furnace, the only time in the book where Daniel is mysteriously gone from the scene without explanation. But, when Nebuchadnezzar looks into the fiery furnace, he sees one like the "Son of God" inside.
· Both guys wear a purple cloak, Dan from interpreting a vision, Jesus when He was being chastised
· In Chapter four verse eight we read that in Daniel is a spirit of the Holy gods
· It's interesting to note that Chapter nine of Daniel predicts the entrance of the Messiah, Jesus predicted," destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up"
· Let me know if you have anything to add
* Ezekiel 14;14 says the three most righteous OT saints were; Job, Noah, and Daniel
* Daniel actually fits into an even smaller category, as there is nothing negative written about him in scripture. This refers to people who's characters are developed, excluding people like Enoch.
· 1;6 says he's from the lineage of Judah, like Christ
· Both Jesus and Daniel saved the lives of their friends while in captivity by an action that nobody else could do, Jesus died for our sins, the perfect sinless sacrifice. While Daniel interpreted the dream of Nebuchadnezzar that no one else could.
· It's interesting that Daniel wrote his book in both Hebrew and Aramaic; Hebrew being the language of the God's chosen people, Aramaic the language of the Gentiles. Jesus died and by doing so, grafted in us Gentiles to become part of the Jew & Gentile church of Christ
· Both Jesus and Daniel magnify the Father; Dan. 2:20="Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom & power belong to Him."
· I find it interesting that Daniel is missing while his three friends are in the fiery furnace, the only time in the book where Daniel is mysteriously gone from the scene without explanation. But, when Nebuchadnezzar looks into the fiery furnace, he sees one like the "Son of God" inside.
· Both guys wear a purple cloak, Dan from interpreting a vision, Jesus when He was being chastised
· In Chapter four verse eight we read that in Daniel is a spirit of the Holy gods
· It's interesting to note that Chapter nine of Daniel predicts the entrance of the Messiah, Jesus predicted," destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up"
· Let me know if you have anything to add
Random Thoughts
Random Thoughts
* Martyred missionary Jim Elliot said it best:
"He is no fool to give what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose."
* It was when Lot stopped being a sojourner, and became a resident in Sodom (Ge 13), that he lost his consecration and his testimony and everything he lived for went up in smoke! (Ge 19)
· Keep reminding yourself that you are residing as an alien in this present evil age
· "and do not be conformed to (poured into the mold of) this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." (see note Romans 12:2)
Spiritual Christians keep themselves "loosely attached" to this world because they live for something and Someone far better. We need to remember that our stay on earth is temporary until they were called
Webster says an "alien" is one "belonging to another person & place", a good description of believers who are not their own and don't call this world their home. Christians should be different, not odd. When you are different, you attract people; when you are odd, you repel them.
The saint should understand that although he or she is just "passing through" and this world which is not our home, it does not suggest that we are to withdraw from the world. What this great truth does mean is that the sojourning saint should view all circumstances and all people in the light of eternity.
The way we think about eternity will determine the importance we attach to people and things. It is true that as a man thinks in his heart, so he (or she) is and so will his conduct be. It is because a saint sees all things in the light of eternity that he is the best of all citizens, for it is only in the light of eternity that the true values of anything can be measured.
* Martyred missionary Jim Elliot said it best:
"He is no fool to give what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose."
* It was when Lot stopped being a sojourner, and became a resident in Sodom (Ge 13), that he lost his consecration and his testimony and everything he lived for went up in smoke! (Ge 19)
· Keep reminding yourself that you are residing as an alien in this present evil age
· "and do not be conformed to (poured into the mold of) this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." (see note Romans 12:2)
Spiritual Christians keep themselves "loosely attached" to this world because they live for something and Someone far better. We need to remember that our stay on earth is temporary until they were called
Webster says an "alien" is one "belonging to another person & place", a good description of believers who are not their own and don't call this world their home. Christians should be different, not odd. When you are different, you attract people; when you are odd, you repel them.
The saint should understand that although he or she is just "passing through" and this world which is not our home, it does not suggest that we are to withdraw from the world. What this great truth does mean is that the sojourning saint should view all circumstances and all people in the light of eternity.
The way we think about eternity will determine the importance we attach to people and things. It is true that as a man thinks in his heart, so he (or she) is and so will his conduct be. It is because a saint sees all things in the light of eternity that he is the best of all citizens, for it is only in the light of eternity that the true values of anything can be measured.
Letting People Be
Letting People Be
One of the hardest things for us to do, as I see it, is to let people live with decisions that you know are bad for them. I imagine all of our parents went through that, watching us like Ted Koppel & Donald Trump tried on hairpieces. They had plenty of choices and still decided on that which is hard to look at.
I suppose that the greater a person's penchant for control results in a greater pain from what others do. I read in a book called "the Calvary Road", Roy Hesson says we don't lose the peace of God over another person's sin but our own. For me, that can be what differentiates me from simply hurting for others and a recurring resentment.
It's interesting to me as to what kind of input we can have in people's lives. Being teachable is a critically important trait to exhibit as a Christian; one of the greatest pitfalls we can face is self-deception. One of the healthiest things we can do for each other is to have spiritual friends that we love and respect to keep us in check.
We read in Jeremiah 17: 9 " The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? 10 I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.
I guess a good test to go by is this; have you ever made a decision that you felt was God leading you towards, only to find that it was a mistake? Did you do it, as you were young in the Lord? Midway or late in you're walk w/ Jesus? The bible says "1 Corinthians 10:12
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." This means Chuck, Pat, Amber, and Beatrice all need to have people in their lives that they respect enough to trust their input in the event that they miss something.
If pride is one of the most dangerous foes that we face, what checks and balances do we have in place to prevent errors? Am I teachable? If I am and someone close to you has been blinded, what do you do?
You pray and you pray some more and then you keep praying. And you let the peace of God that rules your heart like a referee's whistle trust in Him who holds our very breath in His hand. We trust in Him we cannot see physically w/ those that we can see in the realm of the unseen prayer. And we can know they're in the greatest most loving hands of all, our Father's.
One of the hardest things for us to do, as I see it, is to let people live with decisions that you know are bad for them. I imagine all of our parents went through that, watching us like Ted Koppel & Donald Trump tried on hairpieces. They had plenty of choices and still decided on that which is hard to look at.
I suppose that the greater a person's penchant for control results in a greater pain from what others do. I read in a book called "the Calvary Road", Roy Hesson says we don't lose the peace of God over another person's sin but our own. For me, that can be what differentiates me from simply hurting for others and a recurring resentment.
It's interesting to me as to what kind of input we can have in people's lives. Being teachable is a critically important trait to exhibit as a Christian; one of the greatest pitfalls we can face is self-deception. One of the healthiest things we can do for each other is to have spiritual friends that we love and respect to keep us in check.
We read in Jeremiah 17: 9 " The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? 10 I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.
I guess a good test to go by is this; have you ever made a decision that you felt was God leading you towards, only to find that it was a mistake? Did you do it, as you were young in the Lord? Midway or late in you're walk w/ Jesus? The bible says "1 Corinthians 10:12
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall." This means Chuck, Pat, Amber, and Beatrice all need to have people in their lives that they respect enough to trust their input in the event that they miss something.
If pride is one of the most dangerous foes that we face, what checks and balances do we have in place to prevent errors? Am I teachable? If I am and someone close to you has been blinded, what do you do?
You pray and you pray some more and then you keep praying. And you let the peace of God that rules your heart like a referee's whistle trust in Him who holds our very breath in His hand. We trust in Him we cannot see physically w/ those that we can see in the realm of the unseen prayer. And we can know they're in the greatest most loving hands of all, our Father's.
Alone with God
Alone with God Prayer=Friday March 14th
For Christians prayer is like breathing. You don’t have to think to breathe because the atmosphere exerts pressure on your lungs and forces you to breathe. That’s why it is more difficult to hold your breath than it is to breathe. Similarly, when you’re born into the family of God, you enter into a spiritual atmosphere wherein God’s presence and grace exert pressure, or influence, on your life. Prayer is the normal response to that pressure. As believers we have all entered the divine atmosphere to breathe the air of prayer. Only then can we survive in the darkness of the world.
Unfortunately many believers hold their spiritual breaths for long periods, thinking brief moments with God are sufficient to allow them to survive. But such restricting of their spiritual intake is caused by sinful desires. The fact is, every believer must be continually in the presence of God, constantly breathing in His truths to be fully functional.
Because ours is such a free and prosperous society, it is easier for Christians to feel secure by presuming on instead of depending on God’s grace. Too many believers become satisfied with physical blessings and have little desire for spiritual blessings. Having become so dependent on their physical resources, they feel little need for spiritual resources.
When programs, methods, and money produce impressive results, there is an inclination to confuse human success with divine blessing. Christians can actually behave like practical humanists, living as if God were not necessary. When that happens, passionate longing for God and yearning for His help will be missing—along with His empowerment. Because of this great and common danger, Paul urged believers to "pray at all times" (Eph. 6:18) and to "devote yourselves to prayer" (Col. 4:2). Continual, persistent, incessant prayer is an essential part of Christian living and flows out of dependence on God.
For Christians prayer is like breathing. You don’t have to think to breathe because the atmosphere exerts pressure on your lungs and forces you to breathe. That’s why it is more difficult to hold your breath than it is to breathe. Similarly, when you’re born into the family of God, you enter into a spiritual atmosphere wherein God’s presence and grace exert pressure, or influence, on your life. Prayer is the normal response to that pressure. As believers we have all entered the divine atmosphere to breathe the air of prayer. Only then can we survive in the darkness of the world.
Unfortunately many believers hold their spiritual breaths for long periods, thinking brief moments with God are sufficient to allow them to survive. But such restricting of their spiritual intake is caused by sinful desires. The fact is, every believer must be continually in the presence of God, constantly breathing in His truths to be fully functional.
Because ours is such a free and prosperous society, it is easier for Christians to feel secure by presuming on instead of depending on God’s grace. Too many believers become satisfied with physical blessings and have little desire for spiritual blessings. Having become so dependent on their physical resources, they feel little need for spiritual resources.
When programs, methods, and money produce impressive results, there is an inclination to confuse human success with divine blessing. Christians can actually behave like practical humanists, living as if God were not necessary. When that happens, passionate longing for God and yearning for His help will be missing—along with His empowerment. Because of this great and common danger, Paul urged believers to "pray at all times" (Eph. 6:18) and to "devote yourselves to prayer" (Col. 4:2). Continual, persistent, incessant prayer is an essential part of Christian living and flows out of dependence on God.
Wednesday March 19th Chuck’s Daily Devo Matthew
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
This excerpt is from Jesus’ most famous sermon," the Sermon on the Mount". It’s interesting to note that historically, people traveled as far as a one hundred miles to see and hear Jesus of Nazareth. That’s committment. It reminds me of that old 70’s/early 80’s commercial for the Brokerage Firm called E.F. Hutton. In the commercial, a man typically says," My broker is E.F. Hutton", and after he says that, no matter where they are, people stop everything they do to a moment of stunned silence, and then the commercial ends shortly after this moment. I like to think that the same is true for me when God wants to communicate a message to me. As I said, I would like to think so, but I know me, all too well.
If the truth be told, I need a reminder to be listening for what God is trying to say to me. Sometimes daily, hourly, and minute-by-minute. We were saying in class on Sunday night that we’re so busy/so technologically modern, that we have to have everybody turn off their electronic devices in order to possibly have a one and a half hour class w/ minimal interuptions. That in mind, in our text, Jesus uses a word that is so perfectly generic, it’s application reaches far into our lives and makes for wonderfully large applications to us. Simply put, we treasure things! We do! You do, I do, your cousin Beatrice from Albequerque does, we’re all busted.
To prove my point, I’ve got two words and a hyphen for you, fifty-five!!! Sammy Hagar sang it in the 80’s and it still rings true today. We can’t drive fifty-five, we treasure speed. We treasure whatever we can get quickly. And it’s no surprise at all that Jesus put’s it in the perspective of the eye gate for us because that’s the entry point for our treasures. We see things and we say," hot-dog", I want that. I do that w/ bibles, food, clothes, the list goes on, ad infinitum...
So, what to do? The first thing that occurs to me is God’s anticipation of our human excuse realm. He says, very perceptively," where your treasure is", present tense. He knows our excuse maker will say things along these lines," Well Lord, I’ve looked at_______________ for so many years, what’s the use in stopping now?" And God says to us,"where your treasure is" right now/where is your eye gate focusing on right now?" You see as our Creator, He’s at a certain vantage point. He knows us, knows what we did, what we’re doing, what we will do, and how we’re created to do what those things entail.
So, just for today, what do I treasure? What do I allow my eyes to see, reflect on, anticipate, or even worse, when I’m most vulnerable/susceptible to temptation, i.e.=tired, stressed, hungry, lonely,bored, the beat goes on. Not only that, but am I considering what is really treasure compared w/ what is invariably fool’s gold? Personally speaking, treasure equates to people, people are treasure in God’s estimation. He makes that clear in parables like the one where the man sells all they he has for the pearl, that’s Jesus. He gave everything up to become a man so He would draw pearls of human hearts to Himself, and I trust that He’s continually doing that in your life as well as mine. Where’s your heart my friends? Where do you allow your eyes to travel? Where’s your heart on this fine spring day, and when God speaks, are we becoming E.F. Hutton clients for the kingdom of heaven?
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
This excerpt is from Jesus’ most famous sermon," the Sermon on the Mount". It’s interesting to note that historically, people traveled as far as a one hundred miles to see and hear Jesus of Nazareth. That’s committment. It reminds me of that old 70’s/early 80’s commercial for the Brokerage Firm called E.F. Hutton. In the commercial, a man typically says," My broker is E.F. Hutton", and after he says that, no matter where they are, people stop everything they do to a moment of stunned silence, and then the commercial ends shortly after this moment. I like to think that the same is true for me when God wants to communicate a message to me. As I said, I would like to think so, but I know me, all too well.
If the truth be told, I need a reminder to be listening for what God is trying to say to me. Sometimes daily, hourly, and minute-by-minute. We were saying in class on Sunday night that we’re so busy/so technologically modern, that we have to have everybody turn off their electronic devices in order to possibly have a one and a half hour class w/ minimal interuptions. That in mind, in our text, Jesus uses a word that is so perfectly generic, it’s application reaches far into our lives and makes for wonderfully large applications to us. Simply put, we treasure things! We do! You do, I do, your cousin Beatrice from Albequerque does, we’re all busted.
To prove my point, I’ve got two words and a hyphen for you, fifty-five!!! Sammy Hagar sang it in the 80’s and it still rings true today. We can’t drive fifty-five, we treasure speed. We treasure whatever we can get quickly. And it’s no surprise at all that Jesus put’s it in the perspective of the eye gate for us because that’s the entry point for our treasures. We see things and we say," hot-dog", I want that. I do that w/ bibles, food, clothes, the list goes on, ad infinitum...
So, what to do? The first thing that occurs to me is God’s anticipation of our human excuse realm. He says, very perceptively," where your treasure is", present tense. He knows our excuse maker will say things along these lines," Well Lord, I’ve looked at_______________ for so many years, what’s the use in stopping now?" And God says to us,"where your treasure is" right now/where is your eye gate focusing on right now?" You see as our Creator, He’s at a certain vantage point. He knows us, knows what we did, what we’re doing, what we will do, and how we’re created to do what those things entail.
So, just for today, what do I treasure? What do I allow my eyes to see, reflect on, anticipate, or even worse, when I’m most vulnerable/susceptible to temptation, i.e.=tired, stressed, hungry, lonely,bored, the beat goes on. Not only that, but am I considering what is really treasure compared w/ what is invariably fool’s gold? Personally speaking, treasure equates to people, people are treasure in God’s estimation. He makes that clear in parables like the one where the man sells all they he has for the pearl, that’s Jesus. He gave everything up to become a man so He would draw pearls of human hearts to Himself, and I trust that He’s continually doing that in your life as well as mine. Where’s your heart my friends? Where do you allow your eyes to travel? Where’s your heart on this fine spring day, and when God speaks, are we becoming E.F. Hutton clients for the kingdom of heaven?
Matt 6:25-26
Matthew 6; 25-26Do Not Worry
25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
Worry= to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret.
God says not to worry about my life, the implication is that I do/I will worry. He uses examples that relate to all people groups throughout time; we’re not to worry about food & clothing. Jesus uses the example of how God takes care of the animals, He meets their needs. Therein lies a neat example of what we can do when we do become worried/troubled about our needs in this life, we can go to a park or a backyard where we can watch animals. The idea is that we’re to slow down, relax, and realize that God’s creations are taken care of.
My favorite part in this section of teaching is in regards to our value to God. That’s important to me and one that I like to meditate upon. The creator of all of time, matter, and eternity values little o’l me. It’s important to know that of all the people in this life that we matter to, God sees value in our existence. It is an example to really hone in on and internalize, not just to regard intellectually and then meander on through our day, never giving it a second thought.
Since we’re important to God, it means that all His other personal thoughts and attitudes toward us, mean that much more. If He truly values me, when He tells me that He’ll never leave me or forsake me, it’s for real. When He includes do not fear or that He who has begun a good work in me is faithful to complete it, it’s true!
Words in our culture really having a bearing on Who utters them, how they’re uttered, and the context in which they’re uttered. When I worry, in a sense, I’m going against God’s best for me. His best is to trust that He is capable of looking out for me. To think otherwise is a poor reflection of who I think He is. If really has the ability to transcend my family’s need for reliable transportation, to make sure that we have money coming in for the family’s food and clothing, to make sure that I can survive the temptations in this life that we face daily, by the thousands, and finally, that I’m worth all these things and more, I want to believe Him.
His value of me grows my faith and I can, if I so choose, to repeat His words to me over continually today. He values me, I’m worth a great deal to my Jesus. My God has saved me for a purpose and no matter what comes my way today, His hands are big enough, strong enough, reliable enough, and valuable enough to hold me in them.
25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
Worry= to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret.
God says not to worry about my life, the implication is that I do/I will worry. He uses examples that relate to all people groups throughout time; we’re not to worry about food & clothing. Jesus uses the example of how God takes care of the animals, He meets their needs. Therein lies a neat example of what we can do when we do become worried/troubled about our needs in this life, we can go to a park or a backyard where we can watch animals. The idea is that we’re to slow down, relax, and realize that God’s creations are taken care of.
My favorite part in this section of teaching is in regards to our value to God. That’s important to me and one that I like to meditate upon. The creator of all of time, matter, and eternity values little o’l me. It’s important to know that of all the people in this life that we matter to, God sees value in our existence. It is an example to really hone in on and internalize, not just to regard intellectually and then meander on through our day, never giving it a second thought.
Since we’re important to God, it means that all His other personal thoughts and attitudes toward us, mean that much more. If He truly values me, when He tells me that He’ll never leave me or forsake me, it’s for real. When He includes do not fear or that He who has begun a good work in me is faithful to complete it, it’s true!
Words in our culture really having a bearing on Who utters them, how they’re uttered, and the context in which they’re uttered. When I worry, in a sense, I’m going against God’s best for me. His best is to trust that He is capable of looking out for me. To think otherwise is a poor reflection of who I think He is. If really has the ability to transcend my family’s need for reliable transportation, to make sure that we have money coming in for the family’s food and clothing, to make sure that I can survive the temptations in this life that we face daily, by the thousands, and finally, that I’m worth all these things and more, I want to believe Him.
His value of me grows my faith and I can, if I so choose, to repeat His words to me over continually today. He values me, I’m worth a great deal to my Jesus. My God has saved me for a purpose and no matter what comes my way today, His hands are big enough, strong enough, reliable enough, and valuable enough to hold me in them.
Matt 6:33
Matthew 6;33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
We’re to seek first that which is contrary to our human/sinful nature. The kingdom of God=is that which pertains to God’s will here on earth. To be in the world but not of the world. Righteousness is a good way to describe right living. In order to do so, I must become washed in the living water of Christ’s Word. I need to be immersed in the selfless perspective.
It’s easier to do, I believe, in lieu of His fine example. When I read of His cleansing of the temple or of his not reviling back when He was reviled, I have a model to work from. But when I’m stuck in the moment of my present circumstance, unable to keep from over-reacting to whatever life’s lunch plate is being served up daily, it’s sufficient then of it’s own daily trouble. It’s at that point that I hope that I have God’s Word hidden in my heart that I might not sin against God.
I’m reminded of the disciples situation after the Mount of transfiguration. They were confronted w/ a child that was demon possessed and they could not cast out the demon. Jesus was able to do so and when the disciples asked Him why they could not do so, He said that kind only comes out by prayer & fasting. The implication is that they needed to have been fasting ahead of time.
So today, am I looking ahead to godly priorities? Am I anticipating what Jesus would do in my situation? I find that when I ponder over what He has done, I have an example, a blueprint, a direction to walk and it’s all about seeking first that which is right living.
We’re to seek first that which is contrary to our human/sinful nature. The kingdom of God=is that which pertains to God’s will here on earth. To be in the world but not of the world. Righteousness is a good way to describe right living. In order to do so, I must become washed in the living water of Christ’s Word. I need to be immersed in the selfless perspective.
It’s easier to do, I believe, in lieu of His fine example. When I read of His cleansing of the temple or of his not reviling back when He was reviled, I have a model to work from. But when I’m stuck in the moment of my present circumstance, unable to keep from over-reacting to whatever life’s lunch plate is being served up daily, it’s sufficient then of it’s own daily trouble. It’s at that point that I hope that I have God’s Word hidden in my heart that I might not sin against God.
I’m reminded of the disciples situation after the Mount of transfiguration. They were confronted w/ a child that was demon possessed and they could not cast out the demon. Jesus was able to do so and when the disciples asked Him why they could not do so, He said that kind only comes out by prayer & fasting. The implication is that they needed to have been fasting ahead of time.
So today, am I looking ahead to godly priorities? Am I anticipating what Jesus would do in my situation? I find that when I ponder over what He has done, I have an example, a blueprint, a direction to walk and it’s all about seeking first that which is right living.
Matt 7
1Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
The margin in my King James bible says the word for judge=condemn. We are not to condemn others. In Matthew chapter five, we are told not to call somebody a fool. In the bible, a fool is somebody who doesn’t believe in God. In a simplistic sense, which is the way I so often need the Word of God, we are not to take the position of being God, for only He knows the heart of people/Jeremiah 17;9.
You would think that it would in a sense, be a relief for us not to take on the roll of God. I mean, talk about job stress! "Shnook-ums, how was your day today?" "Well honey bunny, I had to control the universe again today", I tell you those Bolivians really bring me down". I mean really, who wants that job? We do. I do, you do.
We do because we invariably see what others clearly are not doing in their lives. While, at the same time, exhibiting extreme blindness into our own shortcomings and failings. It’s a slam dunk and we hone this gift to a maniacal proficiency. It’s like people’s opinions regarding religion, politics, and our abilities to drive better than most NASCAR drivers. We inherently know what’s best for others and often feel compelled to play out their scenarios in our minds, only the way they should act. Well, maybe you don’t, but I sure do. I did so yesterday while I had my first experience using the manly power tool known as a chainsaw.
It’s funny because my intentions were to meditate on my poverty of spirit from Matthew 5;3. But by the time I had finished gathering all the tree limbs from the St. Joe ice storm carnage, I had figured out pretty much all of my friends problems and was chock full of the lack of peace that passes all understanding.
The moral to the story is found in James. He says in his short little epistle, don’t plan too much ahead, because today’s’ troubles are sufficient to keep you in check for the moment. And I need that direction. It’s not that I can’t understand what can and will viably help other people. It’s a heart issue.
The bible says that when we are to correct others, we are to do so in a meek and gentle/loving spirit, lest we also be tempted. That’s the heart of what Jesus wants for our hearts. God designed us to be spiritual "spirit-filled" creatures, and to show others the error of their ways, is to be done as Jesus did when He lived His life as an example for us. "Woman where art thou accusers? Neither do I condemn thee, go thy way and sin nor more". " I am meek and lowly in spirit. Take My yoke upon you, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light". "Jesus looked at him and loved him. Jesus looked upon them as sheep in need of a shepherd. Jesus wept."
2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
The margin in my King James bible says the word for judge=condemn. We are not to condemn others. In Matthew chapter five, we are told not to call somebody a fool. In the bible, a fool is somebody who doesn’t believe in God. In a simplistic sense, which is the way I so often need the Word of God, we are not to take the position of being God, for only He knows the heart of people/Jeremiah 17;9.
You would think that it would in a sense, be a relief for us not to take on the roll of God. I mean, talk about job stress! "Shnook-ums, how was your day today?" "Well honey bunny, I had to control the universe again today", I tell you those Bolivians really bring me down". I mean really, who wants that job? We do. I do, you do.
We do because we invariably see what others clearly are not doing in their lives. While, at the same time, exhibiting extreme blindness into our own shortcomings and failings. It’s a slam dunk and we hone this gift to a maniacal proficiency. It’s like people’s opinions regarding religion, politics, and our abilities to drive better than most NASCAR drivers. We inherently know what’s best for others and often feel compelled to play out their scenarios in our minds, only the way they should act. Well, maybe you don’t, but I sure do. I did so yesterday while I had my first experience using the manly power tool known as a chainsaw.
It’s funny because my intentions were to meditate on my poverty of spirit from Matthew 5;3. But by the time I had finished gathering all the tree limbs from the St. Joe ice storm carnage, I had figured out pretty much all of my friends problems and was chock full of the lack of peace that passes all understanding.
The moral to the story is found in James. He says in his short little epistle, don’t plan too much ahead, because today’s’ troubles are sufficient to keep you in check for the moment. And I need that direction. It’s not that I can’t understand what can and will viably help other people. It’s a heart issue.
The bible says that when we are to correct others, we are to do so in a meek and gentle/loving spirit, lest we also be tempted. That’s the heart of what Jesus wants for our hearts. God designed us to be spiritual "spirit-filled" creatures, and to show others the error of their ways, is to be done as Jesus did when He lived His life as an example for us. "Woman where art thou accusers? Neither do I condemn thee, go thy way and sin nor more". " I am meek and lowly in spirit. Take My yoke upon you, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light". "Jesus looked at him and loved him. Jesus looked upon them as sheep in need of a shepherd. Jesus wept."
Thursdaily Devo Psalm 51; 17
Psalm 51; 17
17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Brokenness, what a concept! At times it can sound equivalent to putting a sharp stick in your eye. Lord I want to be totally devoid of ability and talent in such a way, as to be completely dependent upon You. Knowing my bent towards distractions, frustrations, disappointments, and everyday life situations, I still come to You w/ humbleness and childlike faith, mixed w/ need & a tendency towards procrastination.
I remember reading in the amazing book," Imitation of Christ", to beware of the need "to know things". As I thought about it, I was taken back by the pitfall that approaches each & everyone one of us in relation to pride. Pride shows up in my life and says," I did it my way" like the oh so humble ones that sang it; Frank Sinatra & Sid Vicious. Pride. What a gas. What a poisonous vain imagination that I somehow have superior knowledge in a world that is diametrically opposed to the will of Jesus Christ.
No my friends, when we come to Christ, we come as beggars. I’m reminded of the one time in my life when I experienced as a child, the phenomenon of drowning. My brother & I were in a small river and before we knew it, we were taken over by the current. At one point, my body involuntarily had to get to a source of air & I found myself climbing on my brother to do so. Had I been any more desperate, I could have fought my own flesh & blood to get to that source of life, involuntarily.
And that’s where the analogy ends. Pride is a choice. And even if I realize it’s working in me, it can change clothes and I all of the sudden become proud of the fact that I recognized pride. I can wear it like a bad velour shirt from the 80’s or I can assume the rightful, life giving position of getting on my hands & knees before my Jesus. I find in the context of Psalm 51, needing God not to despise me. Needing His power & His love to prevail when I gasp for air because I wrongly take things upon myself & my talents instead of kneeling at the cross of grace & mercy.
I’m finding that His ways, not my resourcefulness are so much more satisfying, it’s like breathing fresh air when I realize I need to humbly seek Him without any agenda, or plan on how my life should go for this day. When I, like the tax collector,
Luke 18;3 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ’God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
come to God not by comparison to other men, but as a child to a loving Daddy, there comes a peace and a purpose for my life that I want more than anything. No sin, despite it’s painful price tag, pleases like our heavenly Father does. And today, without knowing when our next automobile or finances or transportation for my mother-in-law, or studying for Sunday night, or discipleship of our children, or Jacob’s learning to read, or people pleasing, or being anymore than my heavenly Father can prepare me to be, I lay at the feet of the cross, needy, vulnerable, and loved. And that’s where I have to be right now.
17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Brokenness, what a concept! At times it can sound equivalent to putting a sharp stick in your eye. Lord I want to be totally devoid of ability and talent in such a way, as to be completely dependent upon You. Knowing my bent towards distractions, frustrations, disappointments, and everyday life situations, I still come to You w/ humbleness and childlike faith, mixed w/ need & a tendency towards procrastination.
I remember reading in the amazing book," Imitation of Christ", to beware of the need "to know things". As I thought about it, I was taken back by the pitfall that approaches each & everyone one of us in relation to pride. Pride shows up in my life and says," I did it my way" like the oh so humble ones that sang it; Frank Sinatra & Sid Vicious. Pride. What a gas. What a poisonous vain imagination that I somehow have superior knowledge in a world that is diametrically opposed to the will of Jesus Christ.
No my friends, when we come to Christ, we come as beggars. I’m reminded of the one time in my life when I experienced as a child, the phenomenon of drowning. My brother & I were in a small river and before we knew it, we were taken over by the current. At one point, my body involuntarily had to get to a source of air & I found myself climbing on my brother to do so. Had I been any more desperate, I could have fought my own flesh & blood to get to that source of life, involuntarily.
And that’s where the analogy ends. Pride is a choice. And even if I realize it’s working in me, it can change clothes and I all of the sudden become proud of the fact that I recognized pride. I can wear it like a bad velour shirt from the 80’s or I can assume the rightful, life giving position of getting on my hands & knees before my Jesus. I find in the context of Psalm 51, needing God not to despise me. Needing His power & His love to prevail when I gasp for air because I wrongly take things upon myself & my talents instead of kneeling at the cross of grace & mercy.
I’m finding that His ways, not my resourcefulness are so much more satisfying, it’s like breathing fresh air when I realize I need to humbly seek Him without any agenda, or plan on how my life should go for this day. When I, like the tax collector,
Luke 18;3 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ’God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
come to God not by comparison to other men, but as a child to a loving Daddy, there comes a peace and a purpose for my life that I want more than anything. No sin, despite it’s painful price tag, pleases like our heavenly Father does. And today, without knowing when our next automobile or finances or transportation for my mother-in-law, or studying for Sunday night, or discipleship of our children, or Jacob’s learning to read, or people pleasing, or being anymore than my heavenly Father can prepare me to be, I lay at the feet of the cross, needy, vulnerable, and loved. And that’s where I have to be right now.
ATF Friday Night Phil Joel
· Phil was at a place in his life where he said to his pastor," if the God of the universe is able to be known, how can I get to know him?"
· His pastor gave him a read thru the bible in a year program.
· He and his wife set their alarm clocks an hour early, to pray & he kept a notebook were he wrote questions he had for the Lord, as well as the things God revealed to him.
· After 3 months of doing that every day, he & his wife looked @ each other and said," it’s working".
· Why does God love us so much?
· Phil found that he couldn’t stop writing down the things that he was learning from God.
· He pointed out that it takes time to become real friends w/ someone.
· The plans/purposes for our life from Christ are phenomenal.
· Jesus Himself would draw away from others to be w/ the Father.
· Now he comes every morning to feed/to feast w/ God.
· God says," Let’s spend time together."
· To God Phil says," whatever it takes, whatever You want, bring it on!"
· Ask yourself if you’re willing to sacrifice sleep or time on the computer or ___________, to be w/ the Lord.
· His pastor gave him a read thru the bible in a year program.
· He and his wife set their alarm clocks an hour early, to pray & he kept a notebook were he wrote questions he had for the Lord, as well as the things God revealed to him.
· After 3 months of doing that every day, he & his wife looked @ each other and said," it’s working".
· Why does God love us so much?
· Phil found that he couldn’t stop writing down the things that he was learning from God.
· He pointed out that it takes time to become real friends w/ someone.
· The plans/purposes for our life from Christ are phenomenal.
· Jesus Himself would draw away from others to be w/ the Father.
· Now he comes every morning to feed/to feast w/ God.
· God says," Let’s spend time together."
· To God Phil says," whatever it takes, whatever You want, bring it on!"
· Ask yourself if you’re willing to sacrifice sleep or time on the computer or ___________, to be w/ the Lord.
Saturday Morning Phil again
· You may not feel like it, but God never changes
· Tragedy on Pleasure Island-"We’re bored so we want to be entertained. We’ve become addicted to pleasure.
· Obesity=results in an increased risk of heart disease, increased risk of diabetes; suicide is the third leading cause of death in this country in people ages 15-24.
· Every 16 min. somebody commits suicide.
· Do an inventory over the last thirty days; how much time have you spent on sports, music, clothes you bought, on the computer, etc…
2 Timothy 3;1 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!
· Acts 20; 35 And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ’It is more blessed to give than to receive.’"
Matthew 16
· 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
· Thru the various Christian Missions available, via, ATF, you can set a child free from slavery, $1 a month to sponsor a child.
· How much value do I add to those around me?
· It’s time to get off Pleasure Island.
· The Drama=the sin is in the choice, it always has repercussions.
· Tragedy on Pleasure Island-"We’re bored so we want to be entertained. We’ve become addicted to pleasure.
· Obesity=results in an increased risk of heart disease, increased risk of diabetes; suicide is the third leading cause of death in this country in people ages 15-24.
· Every 16 min. somebody commits suicide.
· Do an inventory over the last thirty days; how much time have you spent on sports, music, clothes you bought, on the computer, etc…
2 Timothy 3;1 You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!
· Acts 20; 35 And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ’It is more blessed to give than to receive.’"
Matthew 16
· 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
· Thru the various Christian Missions available, via, ATF, you can set a child free from slavery, $1 a month to sponsor a child.
· How much value do I add to those around me?
· It’s time to get off Pleasure Island.
· The Drama=the sin is in the choice, it always has repercussions.
ATF Part 4 Sniglets
Sniglets
· How do we get our voice out there?
John 12
· 49 I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it.
· Go into the entire world & preach the good news.
· God so loves, He wants to reintroduce you to that strength & power.
1 Corinthians 13
· 1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
· Whenever you speak, do it in love.
1 Corinthians 16
· 14 And do everything with love.
Ephesians 4
· 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
· God told us how to say it, how can I best reach those around me?
· How do you get people to listen to you?
· Who do I listen to?
· The world has nothing to say, but says it so well.
· The church has everything to say, but says it badly.
Jeremiah 1
9 Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said,
"Look, I have put my words in your mouth!
Luke 21
· 15 for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you!
· 1) Is my voice motivated by love?
· 2) Is my message relevant/relatable?
· 3) Is my message what the world needs to hear?
· Ephesians 3; 20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
· Jesus wanted to put them in the middle of the miracle.
· In your school, every time you dream the dreams of God, you reflect God’s light.
· We were born to dream, made in His image, & everyone has the potential to dream.
· Your dream is your voice; there are a lot of forces that want to kill us (our dreams).
· Every time we watch TV or movies we’re participating in someone else’s dream.
· Culture hypnotizes us; it causes our reading to be "dumbed down".
· And they really represent dream killers, distractions from our dreams.
· 98% of people follow somebody else’s dreams while only 2% of people actually shape culture.
· What is your dream?
· How do we get our voice out there?
John 12
· 49 I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it.
· Go into the entire world & preach the good news.
· God so loves, He wants to reintroduce you to that strength & power.
1 Corinthians 13
· 1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
· Whenever you speak, do it in love.
1 Corinthians 16
· 14 And do everything with love.
Ephesians 4
· 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
· God told us how to say it, how can I best reach those around me?
· How do you get people to listen to you?
· Who do I listen to?
· The world has nothing to say, but says it so well.
· The church has everything to say, but says it badly.
Jeremiah 1
9 Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said,
"Look, I have put my words in your mouth!
Luke 21
· 15 for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you!
· 1) Is my voice motivated by love?
· 2) Is my message relevant/relatable?
· 3) Is my message what the world needs to hear?
· Ephesians 3; 20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
· Jesus wanted to put them in the middle of the miracle.
· In your school, every time you dream the dreams of God, you reflect God’s light.
· We were born to dream, made in His image, & everyone has the potential to dream.
· Your dream is your voice; there are a lot of forces that want to kill us (our dreams).
· Every time we watch TV or movies we’re participating in someone else’s dream.
· Culture hypnotizes us; it causes our reading to be "dumbed down".
· And they really represent dream killers, distractions from our dreams.
· 98% of people follow somebody else’s dreams while only 2% of people actually shape culture.
· What is your dream?
ATF 2008 Notes Friday Night- Phil
· What does it mean to magnify the Lord?
· It’s like looking @ Him thru a telescope & He keeps getting more magnificent, larger, and easier to see.
· We love Him as we’re magnifying Him.
· As you focus on Him more & more, He becomes clearer & clearer.
· Pray to God," if you’re real, show Yourself to me."
· Ask Him to give you one word.
· God inhabits our praises; He comes & lives in our praises.
· During the "fish" demonstration, he says that the fish doesn’t live in a breathing environment.
· The fish would die in this world.
· God created this environment for us, to be His kingdom.
· Matthew 18; 3 Then he said, "I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
· Little kids trust God wholeheartedly.
· Little kids are honest.
· Little kids are totally dependant upon Him.
· He wants us dependant upon Him, to love Him as a parent.
· We need to realize/tell Him that we don’t have it all figured out, & the right response for us is to be humble.
· Children need a ton of love.
· The Failure to Thrive Syndrome=a baby literally dies from a broken heart.
· Our culture is infatuated w/ love.
· 1 John 4; 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
· We get weird when we don’t have love.
· Without love we: fail to thrive, are insecure w/ an arrogant shell, try to get attention/exhibit attention seeking behavior, or we try earning approval.
· There is a God who loves you no matter what.
· Immerse yourself in God’s love like a fish lives in water.
· As Christians, we stay in shallow waters while God has deep things/treasures for us.
· The only thing God asks us to do is to stay in the water.
· The problem is that we keep jumping in & out, it causes us to gasp for air when we’re in the world.
· That’s also how God feels when you take yourself out of His environment.
· We might have asked ourselves at some point, the universe is so big, how can God love me?
· Have you ever smelled a wafting wall of cookie goodness, like fresh baked chocolate chip cookies?
· If not, there’s probably something wrong, your senses haven’t been awakened.
· God wants to get pictures of you awakening.
· He wants pics of you trusting, depending, having honesty of heart towards Him, so tell Him when it’s hard to understand how He can love you.
· We only see stars that are in our galaxy/Milky way.
· Isaiah 48;13 It was my hand that laid the foundations of the earth, my right hand that spread out the heavens above. When I call out the stars, they all appear in order."
· We feel small because God is so big.
· It’s like looking @ Him thru a telescope & He keeps getting more magnificent, larger, and easier to see.
· We love Him as we’re magnifying Him.
· As you focus on Him more & more, He becomes clearer & clearer.
· Pray to God," if you’re real, show Yourself to me."
· Ask Him to give you one word.
· God inhabits our praises; He comes & lives in our praises.
· During the "fish" demonstration, he says that the fish doesn’t live in a breathing environment.
· The fish would die in this world.
· God created this environment for us, to be His kingdom.
· Matthew 18; 3 Then he said, "I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
· Little kids trust God wholeheartedly.
· Little kids are honest.
· Little kids are totally dependant upon Him.
· He wants us dependant upon Him, to love Him as a parent.
· We need to realize/tell Him that we don’t have it all figured out, & the right response for us is to be humble.
· Children need a ton of love.
· The Failure to Thrive Syndrome=a baby literally dies from a broken heart.
· Our culture is infatuated w/ love.
· 1 John 4; 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
· We get weird when we don’t have love.
· Without love we: fail to thrive, are insecure w/ an arrogant shell, try to get attention/exhibit attention seeking behavior, or we try earning approval.
· There is a God who loves you no matter what.
· Immerse yourself in God’s love like a fish lives in water.
· As Christians, we stay in shallow waters while God has deep things/treasures for us.
· The only thing God asks us to do is to stay in the water.
· The problem is that we keep jumping in & out, it causes us to gasp for air when we’re in the world.
· That’s also how God feels when you take yourself out of His environment.
· We might have asked ourselves at some point, the universe is so big, how can God love me?
· Have you ever smelled a wafting wall of cookie goodness, like fresh baked chocolate chip cookies?
· If not, there’s probably something wrong, your senses haven’t been awakened.
· God wants to get pictures of you awakening.
· He wants pics of you trusting, depending, having honesty of heart towards Him, so tell Him when it’s hard to understand how He can love you.
· We only see stars that are in our galaxy/Milky way.
· Isaiah 48;13 It was my hand that laid the foundations of the earth, my right hand that spread out the heavens above. When I call out the stars, they all appear in order."
· We feel small because God is so big.
I Wonder
I Wonder
2 Timothy 2; 23But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.
Pastor Chuck Smith is one of my favorite bible teachers. It seems as though God has given him the ability to go through several chapters of the bible during a study, while enabling him to hit the points that really speak to me.
I remember listening to him talk about the scripture in Matthew where it says to agree w/ your adversary lest he take you to court and applying the verse to situations in his life where men were trying to sway him to their particular beliefs. Chuck didn't agree w/ the guys but, he also didn't engage them in arguments that they wished him to do so.
I find a lot of wisdom in that. I've heard Chuck say that he hates to argue over the bible and man I agree. It's so much more edifying to share w/ each other truths in God's Word that we're excited about. I love hearing about pictures of Christ in the Old Testament, the fulfillment of verses found in the New Testament, and even history from the time of Christ that explains cultural terms like the "salt being good for nothing but to be tread upon".
I can remember being a brand new Christian and not really knowing hardly anything about the bible. It was kind of freeing actually. Every study was new and I can't remember any arguing over positions or whether somebody was pre or post trib or any of that stuff. I can remember the excitement of talking to others about what Christ has done in my heart, it was awesome.
I think there's something to be said for just loving the Lord & looking for someone who doesn't know Him yet. Praying for them and reading the Word of God because we love Jesus, we love how He speaks through His love letters to us, and we can't wait to spend time w/ Him. Honestly, I can't wait until that day when we get to meet face to face.
I wonder what that will be like? Will we reminisce over past songs, Him speaking, or the amazing works He did all around us? How long will we get to hug Him? How much time will we get to just talk and be filled w/ so much wonder that we can't stop asking Him questions? Will He have questions as well?
I wonder if He'll ask what we thought about the gospels or Isaiah or David Crowder worship or the Revelation song by Kari Jobe? I can't wait to find out. I wonder if we'll laugh over our kids, or our grandkids, or the times when we fell down & He was so quick to pick us up & restore us? I can't wait. I hope it's soon.
2 Timothy 2; 23But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.
Pastor Chuck Smith is one of my favorite bible teachers. It seems as though God has given him the ability to go through several chapters of the bible during a study, while enabling him to hit the points that really speak to me.
I remember listening to him talk about the scripture in Matthew where it says to agree w/ your adversary lest he take you to court and applying the verse to situations in his life where men were trying to sway him to their particular beliefs. Chuck didn't agree w/ the guys but, he also didn't engage them in arguments that they wished him to do so.
I find a lot of wisdom in that. I've heard Chuck say that he hates to argue over the bible and man I agree. It's so much more edifying to share w/ each other truths in God's Word that we're excited about. I love hearing about pictures of Christ in the Old Testament, the fulfillment of verses found in the New Testament, and even history from the time of Christ that explains cultural terms like the "salt being good for nothing but to be tread upon".
I can remember being a brand new Christian and not really knowing hardly anything about the bible. It was kind of freeing actually. Every study was new and I can't remember any arguing over positions or whether somebody was pre or post trib or any of that stuff. I can remember the excitement of talking to others about what Christ has done in my heart, it was awesome.
I think there's something to be said for just loving the Lord & looking for someone who doesn't know Him yet. Praying for them and reading the Word of God because we love Jesus, we love how He speaks through His love letters to us, and we can't wait to spend time w/ Him. Honestly, I can't wait until that day when we get to meet face to face.
I wonder what that will be like? Will we reminisce over past songs, Him speaking, or the amazing works He did all around us? How long will we get to hug Him? How much time will we get to just talk and be filled w/ so much wonder that we can't stop asking Him questions? Will He have questions as well?
I wonder if He'll ask what we thought about the gospels or Isaiah or David Crowder worship or the Revelation song by Kari Jobe? I can't wait to find out. I wonder if we'll laugh over our kids, or our grandkids, or the times when we fell down & He was so quick to pick us up & restore us? I can't wait. I hope it's soon.
Gleanings from George Mueller
According to my judgment the most important point to be attended to is this: above all things see to it that your souls are happy in the Lord. Other things may press upon you, the Lord's work may even have urgent claims upon your attention, but I deliberately repeat, it is of supreme and paramount importance that you should seek above all things to have your souls truly happy in God Himself! Day by day seek to make this the most important business of your life. "Think you have responsibilities? George Mueller was a man of immense responsibility, overseeing care for more than 2000 orphans - all this accomplished without government assistance, personal wealth or corporate sponsorships. Despite his many noble responsibilities, he placed as his highest priority to have his heart happy in God, each and every day
How did he go about pursuing and practicing this? He offers an important hint by the following quote:"But in what way shall we attain to this settled happiness of soul? How shall we learn to enjoy God? How to obtain such an all-sufficient soul-satisfying portion in him as shall enable us to let go the things of this world as vain and worthless in comparison? I answer, This happiness is to be obtained through the study of the Holy Scriptures. God has therein revealed Himself unto us in the face of Jesus Christ." If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.Buried in the Book of Psalms, is this wonderful gospel picture, speaking of God's holiness, our depravity and his provision of forgiveness. I'm meditating on those verses together with 2 Cor 5:21:
"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. "Today, I'm focusing on that bit of good news till I get happy in God.I'm applying this by looking to God to reveal himself through his word. In particular, I'm looking for the portrait of Jesus Christ in the passages I read, reminding myself of his work of sacrifice on the cross, meditating on his love. I'm doing so with confidence that my lethargic heart is no match for God's inspired words to me. Here's what God graciously turned up for me in Psalms 130:3-4:
If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.
I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord's will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is. Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impressions. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.I seek the will of the Spirit of God through or in connection with the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also. Next I take into account providential circumstances. These plainly indicate God's will in connection with His Word and Spirit. I ask God in prayer to reveal His will to me aright. Thus through prayer to God, the study of the Word and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly. In trivial matters and transactions involving most important issues, I have found this method always effective."And did this plan work?--one asks. Let Mr. Muller's testimony answer:"I never remember," he wrote three years before his death, "in all my Christian course, a period now (in March 1895) of sixty-nine years and four months, that I EVER SINCERELY AND PATIENTLY sought to know the will of God by the teaching of the Word of God, but I have been ALWAYS directed rightly. But if honesty of heart and uprightness before God were lacking, of if I did not patiently wait upon God for instruction, or if I preferred the counsel of my fellow men to the declarations of the Word of the living God, I made great mistakes." (Italics his.)
How did he go about pursuing and practicing this? He offers an important hint by the following quote:"But in what way shall we attain to this settled happiness of soul? How shall we learn to enjoy God? How to obtain such an all-sufficient soul-satisfying portion in him as shall enable us to let go the things of this world as vain and worthless in comparison? I answer, This happiness is to be obtained through the study of the Holy Scriptures. God has therein revealed Himself unto us in the face of Jesus Christ." If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.Buried in the Book of Psalms, is this wonderful gospel picture, speaking of God's holiness, our depravity and his provision of forgiveness. I'm meditating on those verses together with 2 Cor 5:21:
"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. "Today, I'm focusing on that bit of good news till I get happy in God.I'm applying this by looking to God to reveal himself through his word. In particular, I'm looking for the portrait of Jesus Christ in the passages I read, reminding myself of his work of sacrifice on the cross, meditating on his love. I'm doing so with confidence that my lethargic heart is no match for God's inspired words to me. Here's what God graciously turned up for me in Psalms 130:3-4:
If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.
I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord's will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is. Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impressions. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.I seek the will of the Spirit of God through or in connection with the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also. Next I take into account providential circumstances. These plainly indicate God's will in connection with His Word and Spirit. I ask God in prayer to reveal His will to me aright. Thus through prayer to God, the study of the Word and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly. In trivial matters and transactions involving most important issues, I have found this method always effective."And did this plan work?--one asks. Let Mr. Muller's testimony answer:"I never remember," he wrote three years before his death, "in all my Christian course, a period now (in March 1895) of sixty-nine years and four months, that I EVER SINCERELY AND PATIENTLY sought to know the will of God by the teaching of the Word of God, but I have been ALWAYS directed rightly. But if honesty of heart and uprightness before God were lacking, of if I did not patiently wait upon God for instruction, or if I preferred the counsel of my fellow men to the declarations of the Word of the living God, I made great mistakes." (Italics his.)
Chuck Smith on Job
Chuck Smith on Job
Intro: Bildad has been declaring the justice of God, and saying in effect
if Job will only plead his cause before God, God would help him
if he were right.
I. "HOW CAN A MAN BE JUST WITH GOD?" OR PLEASE HIS CAUSE BEFORE GOD, IN
ORDER TO BE JUST."
A. Job conscious of the greatness of God.
1. This consciousness born out of his observation of
nature.
a. "He spreads out the heavens, He made Arcturus,
Orion, and Pleiades."
b. His presence is obvious, by His work, but I
can't see Him.
B. Job conscious of the sovereignty of God.
1. Who can hinder Him?
2. Who can say, what are you doing?
C. Job conscious of the nothingness of self.
1. Could not answer one out of a thousand questions.
2. Rather than try to argue his case Job would cast
himself upon God's mercy.
a. Yet God seems so far away.
b. The suffering is so close.
3. Talk of my strength is absurd.
4. In trying to justify myself I would only condemn myself.
5. If I said I were perfect He would prove my words
perverse.
D. Job Conscious of the great gap between.
1. All wise, almighty, sovereign God .
2. Foolish, weak, nothingness of man.
a. How can an ant communicate his problem or his
suffering to you?
b. How can a man plead His case before God?
II. JOB'S POSSIBLE SOLUTION.
A. A daysman or mediator between us.
1. One who could bridge this gap.
2. One "who could lay His hand on us both."
B. Man through the ages has been conscious of this gap.
1. David in our Ps. 8.
2. Man has attempted to build a bridge.
a. This religions of the world reflect this
attempt.
b. The philosophy of existentialism is just that:
You must take your leap of faith, build your
bridge from this side and hope when you get out
there you can find something to anchor to.
c. Man's attempts to build his towers to God have
all failed and ended in confusion. Why? The
gap is too great.
1. We need a daysman , a go-between.
C. God is conscious of this gap, He has created a bridge.
1. "For God so loved the world."
2. "For there is one God and one mediator between God and
man."
3. Our great High Priest who has gone into heaven for us
was in all points tempted like we are so that He can
help us & minister to us and understand our trials.
4. He was God, one with the Father He became man, one
with us. He can lay His hand upon God. He has laid His
hand upon me, and has joined me to God.
Through Him I can touch God. Through Him God touches me.
JOB 9:2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 23, 33
I TIMOTHY 2:5
Intro: Bildad has been declaring the justice of God, and saying in effect
if Job will only plead his cause before God, God would help him
if he were right.
I. "HOW CAN A MAN BE JUST WITH GOD?" OR PLEASE HIS CAUSE BEFORE GOD, IN
ORDER TO BE JUST."
A. Job conscious of the greatness of God.
1. This consciousness born out of his observation of
nature.
a. "He spreads out the heavens, He made Arcturus,
Orion, and Pleiades."
b. His presence is obvious, by His work, but I
can't see Him.
B. Job conscious of the sovereignty of God.
1. Who can hinder Him?
2. Who can say, what are you doing?
C. Job conscious of the nothingness of self.
1. Could not answer one out of a thousand questions.
2. Rather than try to argue his case Job would cast
himself upon God's mercy.
a. Yet God seems so far away.
b. The suffering is so close.
3. Talk of my strength is absurd.
4. In trying to justify myself I would only condemn myself.
5. If I said I were perfect He would prove my words
perverse.
D. Job Conscious of the great gap between.
1. All wise, almighty, sovereign God .
2. Foolish, weak, nothingness of man.
a. How can an ant communicate his problem or his
suffering to you?
b. How can a man plead His case before God?
II. JOB'S POSSIBLE SOLUTION.
A. A daysman or mediator between us.
1. One who could bridge this gap.
2. One "who could lay His hand on us both."
B. Man through the ages has been conscious of this gap.
1. David in our Ps. 8.
2. Man has attempted to build a bridge.
a. This religions of the world reflect this
attempt.
b. The philosophy of existentialism is just that:
You must take your leap of faith, build your
bridge from this side and hope when you get out
there you can find something to anchor to.
c. Man's attempts to build his towers to God have
all failed and ended in confusion. Why? The
gap is too great.
1. We need a daysman , a go-between.
C. God is conscious of this gap, He has created a bridge.
1. "For God so loved the world."
2. "For there is one God and one mediator between God and
man."
3. Our great High Priest who has gone into heaven for us
was in all points tempted like we are so that He can
help us & minister to us and understand our trials.
4. He was God, one with the Father He became man, one
with us. He can lay His hand upon God. He has laid His
hand upon me, and has joined me to God.
Through Him I can touch God. Through Him God touches me.
JOB 9:2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 23, 33
I TIMOTHY 2:5
How do you receive comfort?
How Do You Receive Comfort?
When things are the most difficult in your life, when the finances aren't there, when the weight you've gained is,
When the car perpetually breaks down, and the cost to run it makes it worth it, how do you receive comfort?
Do you find that when the spaces in between trials & tribulations cease, does comfort come in a different package or presentation than it used to come?
I wonder about these things as I myself long to comfort those around me that are struggling with seasons of life and trials. I like to think of the closeness of Christ and how important that is both to realize & to draw strength from.
We read in the both the Old & New Testament how the closeness of God to people was offered for comfort. Joshua needed to hear that several times in his book & so we read that verse as being a key verse in the book of Joshua," I (the Lord), will never leave you or forsake you." I'm also reminded as to why John the Baptist was considered the greatest of men born among women, as it was his close proximity to Jesus.
I think, as this weekend continues to unfold as it has, that the best thing any of us can do tonight, tomorrow, on Mother's day, leap year, and Saint Bernard's day, if it in fact exists, is to get close to Jesus. Taking that little bit of time to praise or listening during our prayer time, making his actions our role model for the day or reading His words in such a way to be able to brag upon Him w/ the neighbors is best for all of our lives.
Ray Davies of the Kinks sang it best when he asked," how can I get close?" For you and I today, there's not a better question.
When things are the most difficult in your life, when the finances aren't there, when the weight you've gained is,
When the car perpetually breaks down, and the cost to run it makes it worth it, how do you receive comfort?
Do you find that when the spaces in between trials & tribulations cease, does comfort come in a different package or presentation than it used to come?
I wonder about these things as I myself long to comfort those around me that are struggling with seasons of life and trials. I like to think of the closeness of Christ and how important that is both to realize & to draw strength from.
We read in the both the Old & New Testament how the closeness of God to people was offered for comfort. Joshua needed to hear that several times in his book & so we read that verse as being a key verse in the book of Joshua," I (the Lord), will never leave you or forsake you." I'm also reminded as to why John the Baptist was considered the greatest of men born among women, as it was his close proximity to Jesus.
I think, as this weekend continues to unfold as it has, that the best thing any of us can do tonight, tomorrow, on Mother's day, leap year, and Saint Bernard's day, if it in fact exists, is to get close to Jesus. Taking that little bit of time to praise or listening during our prayer time, making his actions our role model for the day or reading His words in such a way to be able to brag upon Him w/ the neighbors is best for all of our lives.
Ray Davies of the Kinks sang it best when he asked," how can I get close?" For you and I today, there's not a better question.
Monday, April 28, 2008
The Source of Temptation James 1;13-18
James The Source of Temptation 1;13-18
· We're at James 1;13 & we've been looking at the idea of trials. James is writing to the dia-spora, those Jews that were by persecution driven out of Jerusalelm, those Jews that had come on Pentecost, that first Pentecost, & had been saved, they had taken Christ in the hearts back to their homeland. They were experiencing a hardship in that they were discovering grace, they were discovering that Christ had fulfilled the law, & in that there was a hardship within itself in being around their family members that were still religious Jews.
· So James is writing & initially encourages believers as they face certain trials to realize that there are certain things that are accomplished within us, in regards to being conformed into the image & likeness of Christ that only take place in trials. And even in trials where we fail, I find that I learn much more in my failures than in my successes. And that the Lord does allow certain trials to come to us & those testings as it were, to prove us. To conform us into the image of His Son.
· And James is encouraging the believers to take heart & to count it joy when they face certain of these experiences & again I think James, in an interesting way, having grown up in the house w/ Jesus as an older bro, was a strange experience on one side but on the other realizing this one who I knew & observed & really understood so little of, I know when believers experience pain, that it's not His heart to cause them pain. He must have known in an interesting way from looking into the eyes of Jesus, as he grew in the house w/ Him, as He sees now believers in trials across the world, he's able to say, when these things come, God isn't mad @ you, God isn't getting you, what He's doing is He's allowing certain pressures in your life to conform you into the image of Christ so let those trials, let patience & your ability to endure have it's perfect work thru those circumstances when they come.
· So the first section is on trials and I believe he is taking up on God's part saying when these things come, He's not getting you, He's not vindictive, He's not angry @ you. There are certain things that come in our life that ultimately work for our benefit & He certainly has different values than we do because He looks at our lives thru the lense of eternity. And He desires then to do certain things in & thru us. And sometimes we need to approach Him for wisdom & say Lord, why is this happening? How do I get it? How do I do this in a way that honors you? And in ;12 He says there is a blessing for those who endure those things into eternity because there's a crown of life & righteousness given to us. God uses trials as tools to bring us up. They are to give us patience as it said in ;3-4, it's the word endurance, it's sticking out that commitment to the Lord even though times are tough. And so the purpose of trials is to strengthen us, to make us grown in Christ so we can have perseverance. We cannot have strong endurance in our Christian walk unless we have adversities. They don't come from reading a book, they come from tough times.
HOW TO HANDLE TEMPTATION
James 1:13–18
· The mature person is patient in trials. Sometimes the trials are testings on the outside, and sometimes they are temptations on the inside. Trials may be tests sent by God, or they may be temptations sent by Satan and encouraged by our own fallen nature. It is this second aspect of trials—temptations on the inside—that James dealt with in this section.
·We may ask, “Why did James connect the two? What is the relationship between testings without and temptations within?” Simply this: if we are not careful, the testings on the outside may become temptations on the inside. When our circumstances are difficult, we may find ourselves complaining against God, questioning His love, and resisting His will. At this point, Satan provides us with an opportunity to escape the difficulty. This opportunity is a temptation.
·There are many illustrations of this truth found in the Bible. Abraham arrived in Canaan and discovered a famine there. He was not able to care for his flocks and herds. This trial was an opportunity to prove God; but Abraham turned it into a temptation and went down to Egypt. God had to chasten Abraham to bring him back to the place of obedience and blessing.
·While Israel was wandering in the wilderness, the nation often turned testings into temptations and tempted the Lord. No sooner had they been delivered from Egypt than their water supply vanished and they had to march for three days without water. When they did find water, it was so bitter they could not drink it. Immediately they began to murmur and blame God. They turned their testing into a temptation, and they failed.
·Certainly, God does not want us to yield to temptation, yet neither can He spare us the experience of temptation. We are not God’s sheltered people; we are God’s scattered people. If we are to mature, we must face testings and temptations. There are three facts that we must consider if we are to overcome temptation.
Consider God’s Judgment (James 1:13–16)
· This is a negative approach, but it is an important one. James said, “Look ahead and see where sin ends—death!” Do not blame God for temptation. He is too holy to be tempted, and He is too loving to tempt others. God does test us, as He did Abraham (Gen. 22); but He does not and cannot tempt us. It is we who turn occasions of testing into temptations.
·A temptation is an opportunity to accomplish a good thing in a bad way, out of the will of God. It's not wrong to want to pass a temptation; but if you cheat to pass it, then you have sinned. The temptation to cheat is an opportunity to accomplish a good thing (passing the examination) in a bad way. It is not wrong to eat; but if you consider stealing the food, you are tempting yourself.
·We think of sin as a single act, but God sees it as a process. Adam committed one act of sin, and yet that one act brought sin, death, and judgment on the whole human race. James described this process of sin in four stages.
·Desire (v. 14). The word lust means any kind of desire, and not necessarily sexual passions. The normal desires of life were given to us by God and, of themselves, are not sinful. Without these desires, we could not function. Unless we felt hunger and thirst, we would never eat and drink, and we would die. Without fatigue, the body would never rest and would eventually wear out. Sex is a normal desire; without it the human race could not continue.
·It is when we want to satisfy these desires in ways outside God’s will that we get into trouble. Eating is normal; gluttony is sin. Sleep is normal; laziness is sin. “4 Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.(Heb. 13:4).
·The secret is in constant control. These desires must be our servants and not our masters; and this we can do through Jesus Christ.
·Deception (v. 14). No temptation appears as temptation; it always seems more alluring than it really is. James used two illustrations from the world of sports to prove his point. Drawn away carries with it the idea of the baiting of a trap; and enticed in the original Greek means “to bait a hook.” The hunter and the fisherman have to use bait to attract and catch their prey. No animal is deliberately going to step into a trap and no fish will knowingly bite at a naked hook. The idea is to hide the trap and the hook.
·Temptation always carries with it some bait that appeals to our natural desires. The bait not only attracts us, but it also hides the fact that giving in to the desire will eventually bring sorrow and punishment. It is the bait that is the exciting thing. Lot would never have moved toward Sodom had he not seen the “well-watered plains of Jordan” (Gen. 13:10ff). When David looked on his neighbor’s wife, he would never have committed adultery had he seen the tragic consequences: the death of a baby (Bathsheba’s son), the murder of a brave soldier (Uriah), the violation of a daughter (Tamar). The bait keeps us from seeing the consequences of sin.
· When Jesus was tempted by Satan, He always dealt with the temptation on the basis of the Word of God. Three times He said, “It is written.” From the human point of view, turning stones into bread to satisfy hunger is a sensible thing to do; but not from God’s point of view. When you know the Bible, you can detect the bait and deal with it decisively. This is what it means to walk by faith and not by sight.
·Disobedience (v. 15). We have moved from the emotions (desire) and the intellect (deception) to the will. James changed the picture from hunting and fishing to the birth of a baby. Desire conceives a method for taking the bait. The will approves and acts; and the result is sin. Whether we feel it or not, we are hooked and trapped. The baby is born, and just wait until it becomes a toddler!
·Christian living is a matter of the will, not the feelings. I often hear believers say, “I don’t feel like reading the Bible.” Or, “I don’t feel like attending prayer meeting.” Children operate on the basis of feeling, but adults operate on the basis of will. They act because it is right, no matter how they feel. This explains why immature Christians easily fall into temptation: they let their feelings make the decisions. The more you exercise your will in saying a decisive no to temptation, the more God will take control of your life. “ For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.(Phil. 2:13).
·Death (v. 15). Disobedience gives birth to death, not life. It may take years for the sin to mature, but when it does, the result will be death. If we will only believe God’s Word and see this final tragedy, it will encourage us not to yield to temptation. God has written this in His Word because He loves us. “(23 “Do you think, asks the Sovereign Lord, that I like to see wicked people die? Of course not! I only want them to turn from their wicked ways and live. Ezek. 18:23)
·These four stages in temptation and sin are perfectly depicted in the first sin recorded in the Bible in Genesis 3.
·The serpent used desire to interest Eve: “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:5). Is there anything wrong with gaining knowledge? Is there anything wrong with eating food? Eve saw that “the tree was good for food” (Gen. 3:6), and her desire was aroused.
·Paul described the deception of Eve in 2 Corinthians 11:3. “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” Satan is the deceiver, and he seeks to deceive the mind. The bait that he used with Eve was the fact that the forbidden tree was good and pleasant, and that eating of it would make her wise. She saw the bait but forgot the Lord’s warning: “In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Gen. 2:17).
·Eve disobeyed God by taking the fruit of the tree and eating it. Then she shared it with her husband, and he disobeyed God. Because Adam was not deceived, but sinned with his eyes wide open, it is his sin that plunged the human race into tragedy (read Rom. 5:12–21; 1 Tim. 2:12–15).
Both Adam and Eve experienced immediate spiritual death (separation from God), and ultimate physical death. All men die because of Adam (1 Cor. 15:21–22). The person who dies without Jesus Christ will experience eternal death, the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11–15).
Whenever you are faced with temptation, get your eyes off the bait and look ahead to see the consequences of sin: the judgment of God. “For the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).
Faith Obeys the Word 1;19-27
9 My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Your anger can never make things right in God’s sight.
21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls.
22 And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don’t obey, you are only fooling yourself. 23 For if you just listen and don’t obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you keep looking steadily into God’s perfect law—the law that sets you free—and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 27 Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.
Question #1-What are the possible hindrances & dangers which may prevent God's Word from taking root & bearing fruit in our lives?
· Lack of listening
· Speaking impatiently without thinking
· Anger/Quick fuse
· Everyday filth/evil
· Pride/disregard for God's message
· Listening and not doing
· Lack of verbal self-control
· Lack of taking care of the forsaken
· Worldly values
Question #2-Humble acceptance/;21/meekness is not to be confused w/ inactivity. What lessons does James illustration enforce concerning our reaction to God's Word & His law? We should walk in such a reaction to God's Word as to be continually walking as w/ a mirror w/ us, to where we're seeing ourselves through the mirror of God's Word & changing accordingly. It should humble us so as to cause our size in the mirror to diminish/"He must increase that I must decrease". And the blessing of the Lord will bring about a reflected mirror of peace & inner joy.
Question #3-How does your religion stand up to James' practical tests?
· We're at James 1;13 & we've been looking at the idea of trials. James is writing to the dia-spora, those Jews that were by persecution driven out of Jerusalelm, those Jews that had come on Pentecost, that first Pentecost, & had been saved, they had taken Christ in the hearts back to their homeland. They were experiencing a hardship in that they were discovering grace, they were discovering that Christ had fulfilled the law, & in that there was a hardship within itself in being around their family members that were still religious Jews.
· So James is writing & initially encourages believers as they face certain trials to realize that there are certain things that are accomplished within us, in regards to being conformed into the image & likeness of Christ that only take place in trials. And even in trials where we fail, I find that I learn much more in my failures than in my successes. And that the Lord does allow certain trials to come to us & those testings as it were, to prove us. To conform us into the image of His Son.
· And James is encouraging the believers to take heart & to count it joy when they face certain of these experiences & again I think James, in an interesting way, having grown up in the house w/ Jesus as an older bro, was a strange experience on one side but on the other realizing this one who I knew & observed & really understood so little of, I know when believers experience pain, that it's not His heart to cause them pain. He must have known in an interesting way from looking into the eyes of Jesus, as he grew in the house w/ Him, as He sees now believers in trials across the world, he's able to say, when these things come, God isn't mad @ you, God isn't getting you, what He's doing is He's allowing certain pressures in your life to conform you into the image of Christ so let those trials, let patience & your ability to endure have it's perfect work thru those circumstances when they come.
· So the first section is on trials and I believe he is taking up on God's part saying when these things come, He's not getting you, He's not vindictive, He's not angry @ you. There are certain things that come in our life that ultimately work for our benefit & He certainly has different values than we do because He looks at our lives thru the lense of eternity. And He desires then to do certain things in & thru us. And sometimes we need to approach Him for wisdom & say Lord, why is this happening? How do I get it? How do I do this in a way that honors you? And in ;12 He says there is a blessing for those who endure those things into eternity because there's a crown of life & righteousness given to us. God uses trials as tools to bring us up. They are to give us patience as it said in ;3-4, it's the word endurance, it's sticking out that commitment to the Lord even though times are tough. And so the purpose of trials is to strengthen us, to make us grown in Christ so we can have perseverance. We cannot have strong endurance in our Christian walk unless we have adversities. They don't come from reading a book, they come from tough times.
HOW TO HANDLE TEMPTATION
James 1:13–18
· The mature person is patient in trials. Sometimes the trials are testings on the outside, and sometimes they are temptations on the inside. Trials may be tests sent by God, or they may be temptations sent by Satan and encouraged by our own fallen nature. It is this second aspect of trials—temptations on the inside—that James dealt with in this section.
·We may ask, “Why did James connect the two? What is the relationship between testings without and temptations within?” Simply this: if we are not careful, the testings on the outside may become temptations on the inside. When our circumstances are difficult, we may find ourselves complaining against God, questioning His love, and resisting His will. At this point, Satan provides us with an opportunity to escape the difficulty. This opportunity is a temptation.
·There are many illustrations of this truth found in the Bible. Abraham arrived in Canaan and discovered a famine there. He was not able to care for his flocks and herds. This trial was an opportunity to prove God; but Abraham turned it into a temptation and went down to Egypt. God had to chasten Abraham to bring him back to the place of obedience and blessing.
·While Israel was wandering in the wilderness, the nation often turned testings into temptations and tempted the Lord. No sooner had they been delivered from Egypt than their water supply vanished and they had to march for three days without water. When they did find water, it was so bitter they could not drink it. Immediately they began to murmur and blame God. They turned their testing into a temptation, and they failed.
·Certainly, God does not want us to yield to temptation, yet neither can He spare us the experience of temptation. We are not God’s sheltered people; we are God’s scattered people. If we are to mature, we must face testings and temptations. There are three facts that we must consider if we are to overcome temptation.
Consider God’s Judgment (James 1:13–16)
· This is a negative approach, but it is an important one. James said, “Look ahead and see where sin ends—death!” Do not blame God for temptation. He is too holy to be tempted, and He is too loving to tempt others. God does test us, as He did Abraham (Gen. 22); but He does not and cannot tempt us. It is we who turn occasions of testing into temptations.
·A temptation is an opportunity to accomplish a good thing in a bad way, out of the will of God. It's not wrong to want to pass a temptation; but if you cheat to pass it, then you have sinned. The temptation to cheat is an opportunity to accomplish a good thing (passing the examination) in a bad way. It is not wrong to eat; but if you consider stealing the food, you are tempting yourself.
·We think of sin as a single act, but God sees it as a process. Adam committed one act of sin, and yet that one act brought sin, death, and judgment on the whole human race. James described this process of sin in four stages.
·Desire (v. 14). The word lust means any kind of desire, and not necessarily sexual passions. The normal desires of life were given to us by God and, of themselves, are not sinful. Without these desires, we could not function. Unless we felt hunger and thirst, we would never eat and drink, and we would die. Without fatigue, the body would never rest and would eventually wear out. Sex is a normal desire; without it the human race could not continue.
·It is when we want to satisfy these desires in ways outside God’s will that we get into trouble. Eating is normal; gluttony is sin. Sleep is normal; laziness is sin. “4 Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.(Heb. 13:4).
·The secret is in constant control. These desires must be our servants and not our masters; and this we can do through Jesus Christ.
·Deception (v. 14). No temptation appears as temptation; it always seems more alluring than it really is. James used two illustrations from the world of sports to prove his point. Drawn away carries with it the idea of the baiting of a trap; and enticed in the original Greek means “to bait a hook.” The hunter and the fisherman have to use bait to attract and catch their prey. No animal is deliberately going to step into a trap and no fish will knowingly bite at a naked hook. The idea is to hide the trap and the hook.
·Temptation always carries with it some bait that appeals to our natural desires. The bait not only attracts us, but it also hides the fact that giving in to the desire will eventually bring sorrow and punishment. It is the bait that is the exciting thing. Lot would never have moved toward Sodom had he not seen the “well-watered plains of Jordan” (Gen. 13:10ff). When David looked on his neighbor’s wife, he would never have committed adultery had he seen the tragic consequences: the death of a baby (Bathsheba’s son), the murder of a brave soldier (Uriah), the violation of a daughter (Tamar). The bait keeps us from seeing the consequences of sin.
· When Jesus was tempted by Satan, He always dealt with the temptation on the basis of the Word of God. Three times He said, “It is written.” From the human point of view, turning stones into bread to satisfy hunger is a sensible thing to do; but not from God’s point of view. When you know the Bible, you can detect the bait and deal with it decisively. This is what it means to walk by faith and not by sight.
·Disobedience (v. 15). We have moved from the emotions (desire) and the intellect (deception) to the will. James changed the picture from hunting and fishing to the birth of a baby. Desire conceives a method for taking the bait. The will approves and acts; and the result is sin. Whether we feel it or not, we are hooked and trapped. The baby is born, and just wait until it becomes a toddler!
·Christian living is a matter of the will, not the feelings. I often hear believers say, “I don’t feel like reading the Bible.” Or, “I don’t feel like attending prayer meeting.” Children operate on the basis of feeling, but adults operate on the basis of will. They act because it is right, no matter how they feel. This explains why immature Christians easily fall into temptation: they let their feelings make the decisions. The more you exercise your will in saying a decisive no to temptation, the more God will take control of your life. “ For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.(Phil. 2:13).
·Death (v. 15). Disobedience gives birth to death, not life. It may take years for the sin to mature, but when it does, the result will be death. If we will only believe God’s Word and see this final tragedy, it will encourage us not to yield to temptation. God has written this in His Word because He loves us. “(23 “Do you think, asks the Sovereign Lord, that I like to see wicked people die? Of course not! I only want them to turn from their wicked ways and live. Ezek. 18:23)
·These four stages in temptation and sin are perfectly depicted in the first sin recorded in the Bible in Genesis 3.
·The serpent used desire to interest Eve: “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (Gen. 3:5). Is there anything wrong with gaining knowledge? Is there anything wrong with eating food? Eve saw that “the tree was good for food” (Gen. 3:6), and her desire was aroused.
·Paul described the deception of Eve in 2 Corinthians 11:3. “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” Satan is the deceiver, and he seeks to deceive the mind. The bait that he used with Eve was the fact that the forbidden tree was good and pleasant, and that eating of it would make her wise. She saw the bait but forgot the Lord’s warning: “In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Gen. 2:17).
·Eve disobeyed God by taking the fruit of the tree and eating it. Then she shared it with her husband, and he disobeyed God. Because Adam was not deceived, but sinned with his eyes wide open, it is his sin that plunged the human race into tragedy (read Rom. 5:12–21; 1 Tim. 2:12–15).
Both Adam and Eve experienced immediate spiritual death (separation from God), and ultimate physical death. All men die because of Adam (1 Cor. 15:21–22). The person who dies without Jesus Christ will experience eternal death, the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11–15).
Whenever you are faced with temptation, get your eyes off the bait and look ahead to see the consequences of sin: the judgment of God. “For the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23).
Faith Obeys the Word 1;19-27
9 My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Your anger can never make things right in God’s sight.
21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls.
22 And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don’t obey, you are only fooling yourself. 23 For if you just listen and don’t obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you keep looking steadily into God’s perfect law—the law that sets you free—and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 27 Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.
Question #1-What are the possible hindrances & dangers which may prevent God's Word from taking root & bearing fruit in our lives?
· Lack of listening
· Speaking impatiently without thinking
· Anger/Quick fuse
· Everyday filth/evil
· Pride/disregard for God's message
· Listening and not doing
· Lack of verbal self-control
· Lack of taking care of the forsaken
· Worldly values
Question #2-Humble acceptance/;21/meekness is not to be confused w/ inactivity. What lessons does James illustration enforce concerning our reaction to God's Word & His law? We should walk in such a reaction to God's Word as to be continually walking as w/ a mirror w/ us, to where we're seeing ourselves through the mirror of God's Word & changing accordingly. It should humble us so as to cause our size in the mirror to diminish/"He must increase that I must decrease". And the blessing of the Lord will bring about a reflected mirror of peace & inner joy.
Question #3-How does your religion stand up to James' practical tests?
Monday, April 21, 2008
The Purpose of Tests James 1;1-12
James 1;1-12 Christianity 201 The Purpose of Tests
· Considered one of the General Epistles, James, like the epistles of Peter, John, and Jude, is an encyclical addressed not to individual churches or persons but to a larger sphere of believers. The teaching in these general letters complements the doctrine of Paul. Paul emphasized faith; James stressed conduct; Peter, hope; John, love; and Jude, purity
· There was but one James in the early church who was well enough recognized to be able to use such a simple greeting and that was James the son of Joseph, the brother of the Lord. John 7;3-5 indicates that Jesus' family did not believe He was the messiah prior to His resurrection. This is the man who was personally visited by Jesus after the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:7), and it was probably at this time that he was converted.
· Tradition tells us that they called James "camel knees". Camels have those big wads of calluses on their knees so they can get down & carry a person on their back, along w/ all that water in their humps. They say James had calluses from spending so many hours/days on his knees.
· James, along with Peter and John were missionaries to the Jews. James ministered in Jerusalem, Palestine, and Syria; Peter in Babylon and in Rome; and John in Ephesus and Asia Minor. Peter addressed the Jewish Christians scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, while James wrote to the Jewish Christians in general.
· The letter is filled with the teaching of Jesus. No other letter of the NT has as many references to the teaching of Jesus per page as this one does. It is not that James quotes Jesus directly, although he sometimes does (see in 5:12), but he normally simply uses phrases and ideas which come from Jesus. His readers would have memorized much of the Lord’s teaching, so they would recognize the source. Most of these phrases come from the teaching of Jesus now in Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5–7) (see the chart). There is no better example in the NT of a church leader taking the Lord’s teaching and applying it to church problems. The letter of James, then, becomes a model for the modern church on how to apply the teaching of Jesus.
· James 1;1 This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
· It is written to Jewish Christians scattered among the nations.*
· Greetings!
· James identifies himself as a doulos-a bond slave. A slave, not a servant that received a wage, had no rights, no ownership of property, all their needs, cares, and concerns, were met by their master. A bond-slave lived completely for his master, everything he had belonged to his master. He was there only to serve. And in Exodus 21 a slave in the seventh year had the opportunity to go free, if they loved their master, could choose to serve them for life and would receive a golden earring as an outward sign that this slave was property of their master for life.
· He uses the typical Greek greeting here which is the word for grace.
· James 1;2 Dear brothers and sisters,* whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy.
·To persecuted Jewish believers scattered among pagan peoples, James gave the surprising advice, Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds. Trials should be faced with an attitude of joy. Trials should not be seen as a punishment or simply" our lot in life" type of cynicism, which is easy to do. They are designed to produce “pure joy” (lit., “all joy”; i.e., joy that is full or unmixed), not just “some joy” coupled with much grief.
·Though James’ command was direct and forceful, he did not preach at his audience. He identified with them. He addressed them warmly as “my brothers.” This mode of address is characteristic of the epistle. He used this familiar form no less than 15 times. James’ direct commands are coupled with deep compassion.
·It is important to note that James did not say that a believer should be joyous for the trials but in the trials. The verb translated “face” might more literally be expressed as “fall into,” peripesēte, much as the poor man “fell among robbers” (Luke 10:30). The “trials of many kinds” (peirasmois . . . poikilois) were also referred to by Peter, who used the same Greek words, though in reverse order (1 Peter 1:6). When surrounded by these trials, one should respond with joy. Most people count it all joy when they escape trials. James said to count it all joy in the midst of trials (cf. 1 Peter 1:6, 8).
· It is clear that the reference here is to external trials, or tests of stamina (peirasmois) whereas later in the same chapter (James 1:13) the verb form (peirazomai) of that noun is used to speak of inner temptations, or solicitations to sin.
· James, having the advantage of grown up w/ Jesus, knew His kindness, the expressions on His face, etc...So often we misinterpret who Jesus really is when we go thru trials & hardships, & we're thinking," if You really loved me, why would you allow this to happen? Why is thing taking place? And James knows that & he seems to be desiring to communicate to those believers, those that have been scattered abroad about trials, by devoting the first twelve verses to trials.
· It was a difficult time in the history of the church, it seems to be in the mid forties AD, before the conference in Jerusalem, in Acts 15 where James presided as the head of the church, it seems to be earlier on than that. There was persecution mounting against the church, there had been many of those who were converted @ Pentecost, three thousand on the day of Pentecost & 5,000 in response to Peter's sermon in Acts chapter three. Persecution had begun in Jerusalem, many Jews had been driven out, & he addresses them as those that are scattered. In Greek, diaspora is two words; dia=scatter throughout & spora=seed, where we get the word spores from.
· It's interesting to note that James doesh't see the people as children of God under great pressure, though they were, but he sees them as the seed of God scattered throughout the Roman empire. That God so loved the world, that He filled every one of those believers & they became living epistles & they returned to their homelands, & were driven out w/ the living Christ, his older brother in their hearts.
· Again, to count it all joy is not the attitude where we're glad that difficulties are happening, we're to rejoice instead that God is working in our lives.
· He's not wanting us to say," this hurts so much, thank-you Lord"!!!But you can rejoice in the trial, Lord I know you have a plan, I know You're involved.
3 For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.
·
· It's the trying or proving of our faith that's needed.
· James says you believe in God? Demons do to. The goal is for us to see where we are in our faith. God already knows. We dissapoint ourselves because we often think we're farther along than we are.
· Patience is a needed quality. So often our failure is neglecting to wait upon God.
·Trials can be faced with joy because, infused with faith, perseverance results, and if perseverance goes full-term it will develop a thoroughly mature Christian who lacks nothing. He will indeed be all God wants him to be.
·James’ argument may seem logical, but it is still difficult to see how trials can be welcomed with an attitude of joy. Where does one turn for help to understand this paradox?
·
5 If you need wisdom-if you want to know what God wants you to do-ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 They can’t make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do.
·1:5–8 Prayer. But what is a person supposed to do if they are not ‘mature and complete’? What if one fears failing the test? Paul’s answer would have been that they should live, or be led, by the Spirit (e.g. Gal. 5:16–18, 25). James’s answer is for them to ask God for wisdom, because divine wisdom is the power which James believes counteracts evil in human life. Such a prayer would not be useless, for God is a generous giver. Nor is his generosity hemmed in by a critical spirit: ‘What? You again! What did you do with what I gave you last time?’ Far from having that attitude, God simply gives to all who ask, time after time.
·Yet there is one requirement if we are to receive wisdom: the asking must flow out of faith in, or rather commitment to, God. The ‘doubting’ James warns about is not that of a person who wonders whether or not God will answer this particular request, or that of an introspective doubter who struggles with faith. Instead it is that of a person who is double-minded, a phrase with a close equivalent in the Psalms (Ps. 12:1–2), and which is the opposite of trusting God from one’s whole heart (Dt. 6:5; 8:3). In other words, this kind of a doubter is the person who is not wholly committed to God, but ‘plays safe’ by praying. Their real interest is in advancement in this world, but they also want to enjoy some of God’s blessings now and go to heaven when they die. Such a person will not get wisdom, James says.
·
· 9 Christians who are* poor should be glad, for God has honored them. 10 And those who are rich should be glad, for God has humbled them. They will fade away like a flower in the field. 11 The hot sun rises and dries up the grass; the flower withers, and its beauty fades away. So also, wealthy people will fade away with all of their achievements.
· What the poor person can rejoice in is that there is a place reserved for them in heaven. He is a son or a daughter of the most High God. Yes there are struggles in this world but we can rejoice in that we have an inheritance that is undefiled, that doesn't fade away, it's reserved, kept for us in heaven, it's worth more than any earthly treasure.
· The rich=here's the person who's wealthy according to the standards of men, he thought he was above, he could look down on others, all of the sudden that person get's saved, then they realize they're just a sinner saved by grace. And it says in Deut., God gives one man the ability to get wealth & He doesn't give it to another. Paul says we need to learn to be both abased & abound. So let those who are rich be glad in that God has brought life into perspective. He or she is not better than the poorest person on the planet, they are also a sinner saved by grace, & it's remarkable that they're saved because it says that it's harder for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into heaven.
· It doesn't say it's impossible, it says it's harder. Jesus says all things are possible w/ God. So let the rich person rejoice that life has come into perspective, he's been made low. Because They will fade away like a flower in the field. 11 The hot sun rises and dries up the grass; the flower withers, and its beauty fades away. So also, wealthy people will fade away with all of their achievements. They will die, rich or poor, we're all going there. "All of their achievments" are not in the achievments of Christ.
· 12 God blesses the people(rich or poor) who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. Whatever trials they may face & there are a host of trials that the rich endure, that those who are struggling go through. So when he is tried=tested out to completion is the idea. And Paul said at the end of his life, I kept the faith, I fought the good fight, I finished my course. There is within the course that God has designed for each of us, trials that we don't even know about today, we will face in God's grace, & in God's time. And a design within that to continue to conform us to the image of His Son.
· And it means blessed is the man who is tested out to completion. And none of this is to destroy. Ps. 121 says : 1 I look up to the mountains—
· does my help come from there?
· 2 My help comes from the Lord,
· who made the heavens and the earth!
· 3 He will not let you stumble and fall;
· the one who watches over you will not sleep.
· 4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel
· never tires and never sleeps.
· 6 The sun will not hurt you by day,
· nor the moon at night. Is speaking of the fact that when they traveled in the wilderness God had the pillar of cloud during the day to shade them, they never took the full brunt of the heat of the sun. The pillar of fire by night to warm them & to protect them & whatever trial they faced in their wilderness journey was what God allowed to happen. It was the restrained version of trial. And the idea is in our life, whatever comes is under what God allows and His protection of us & it will work to our benefit & it proves out to us who we are & what He is.
· Not because He needs to know but because we need to know. When a wedding is going on & you're reading," for richer or poorer", the couple is thinking about the reception & the honeymoon, they have no idea that as the years go by, those terms will define themselves in reality. But the interesting thing is, that is when the value of the relationship becomes evident, that we have something here that has endured years.It has withstood not only the good things but also the pressures of life.
· The idea also is the proving out till the end to realize His goodness, His faithfulness. You're ability to endure, once Christ has moved into your heart. Remember the commercials when they threw the luggage to the gorilla's & they banged them around? The message was this luggage is tough stuff. They're not trying to destroy luggage, they're trying to prove what it's worth.
· "Blessed", there is a blessing, a prosperous position to be in, not w/ worldly wealth or poverty, a blessed position to be in for the person who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
· Considered one of the General Epistles, James, like the epistles of Peter, John, and Jude, is an encyclical addressed not to individual churches or persons but to a larger sphere of believers. The teaching in these general letters complements the doctrine of Paul. Paul emphasized faith; James stressed conduct; Peter, hope; John, love; and Jude, purity
· There was but one James in the early church who was well enough recognized to be able to use such a simple greeting and that was James the son of Joseph, the brother of the Lord. John 7;3-5 indicates that Jesus' family did not believe He was the messiah prior to His resurrection. This is the man who was personally visited by Jesus after the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:7), and it was probably at this time that he was converted.
· Tradition tells us that they called James "camel knees". Camels have those big wads of calluses on their knees so they can get down & carry a person on their back, along w/ all that water in their humps. They say James had calluses from spending so many hours/days on his knees.
· James, along with Peter and John were missionaries to the Jews. James ministered in Jerusalem, Palestine, and Syria; Peter in Babylon and in Rome; and John in Ephesus and Asia Minor. Peter addressed the Jewish Christians scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, while James wrote to the Jewish Christians in general.
· The letter is filled with the teaching of Jesus. No other letter of the NT has as many references to the teaching of Jesus per page as this one does. It is not that James quotes Jesus directly, although he sometimes does (see in 5:12), but he normally simply uses phrases and ideas which come from Jesus. His readers would have memorized much of the Lord’s teaching, so they would recognize the source. Most of these phrases come from the teaching of Jesus now in Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5–7) (see the chart). There is no better example in the NT of a church leader taking the Lord’s teaching and applying it to church problems. The letter of James, then, becomes a model for the modern church on how to apply the teaching of Jesus.
· James 1;1 This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
· It is written to Jewish Christians scattered among the nations.*
· Greetings!
· James identifies himself as a doulos-a bond slave. A slave, not a servant that received a wage, had no rights, no ownership of property, all their needs, cares, and concerns, were met by their master. A bond-slave lived completely for his master, everything he had belonged to his master. He was there only to serve. And in Exodus 21 a slave in the seventh year had the opportunity to go free, if they loved their master, could choose to serve them for life and would receive a golden earring as an outward sign that this slave was property of their master for life.
· He uses the typical Greek greeting here which is the word for grace.
· James 1;2 Dear brothers and sisters,* whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy.
·To persecuted Jewish believers scattered among pagan peoples, James gave the surprising advice, Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds. Trials should be faced with an attitude of joy. Trials should not be seen as a punishment or simply" our lot in life" type of cynicism, which is easy to do. They are designed to produce “pure joy” (lit., “all joy”; i.e., joy that is full or unmixed), not just “some joy” coupled with much grief.
·Though James’ command was direct and forceful, he did not preach at his audience. He identified with them. He addressed them warmly as “my brothers.” This mode of address is characteristic of the epistle. He used this familiar form no less than 15 times. James’ direct commands are coupled with deep compassion.
·It is important to note that James did not say that a believer should be joyous for the trials but in the trials. The verb translated “face” might more literally be expressed as “fall into,” peripesēte, much as the poor man “fell among robbers” (Luke 10:30). The “trials of many kinds” (peirasmois . . . poikilois) were also referred to by Peter, who used the same Greek words, though in reverse order (1 Peter 1:6). When surrounded by these trials, one should respond with joy. Most people count it all joy when they escape trials. James said to count it all joy in the midst of trials (cf. 1 Peter 1:6, 8).
· It is clear that the reference here is to external trials, or tests of stamina (peirasmois) whereas later in the same chapter (James 1:13) the verb form (peirazomai) of that noun is used to speak of inner temptations, or solicitations to sin.
· James, having the advantage of grown up w/ Jesus, knew His kindness, the expressions on His face, etc...So often we misinterpret who Jesus really is when we go thru trials & hardships, & we're thinking," if You really loved me, why would you allow this to happen? Why is thing taking place? And James knows that & he seems to be desiring to communicate to those believers, those that have been scattered abroad about trials, by devoting the first twelve verses to trials.
· It was a difficult time in the history of the church, it seems to be in the mid forties AD, before the conference in Jerusalem, in Acts 15 where James presided as the head of the church, it seems to be earlier on than that. There was persecution mounting against the church, there had been many of those who were converted @ Pentecost, three thousand on the day of Pentecost & 5,000 in response to Peter's sermon in Acts chapter three. Persecution had begun in Jerusalem, many Jews had been driven out, & he addresses them as those that are scattered. In Greek, diaspora is two words; dia=scatter throughout & spora=seed, where we get the word spores from.
· It's interesting to note that James doesh't see the people as children of God under great pressure, though they were, but he sees them as the seed of God scattered throughout the Roman empire. That God so loved the world, that He filled every one of those believers & they became living epistles & they returned to their homelands, & were driven out w/ the living Christ, his older brother in their hearts.
· Again, to count it all joy is not the attitude where we're glad that difficulties are happening, we're to rejoice instead that God is working in our lives.
· He's not wanting us to say," this hurts so much, thank-you Lord"!!!But you can rejoice in the trial, Lord I know you have a plan, I know You're involved.
3 For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.
·
· It's the trying or proving of our faith that's needed.
· James says you believe in God? Demons do to. The goal is for us to see where we are in our faith. God already knows. We dissapoint ourselves because we often think we're farther along than we are.
· Patience is a needed quality. So often our failure is neglecting to wait upon God.
·Trials can be faced with joy because, infused with faith, perseverance results, and if perseverance goes full-term it will develop a thoroughly mature Christian who lacks nothing. He will indeed be all God wants him to be.
·James’ argument may seem logical, but it is still difficult to see how trials can be welcomed with an attitude of joy. Where does one turn for help to understand this paradox?
·
5 If you need wisdom-if you want to know what God wants you to do-ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 They can’t make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do.
·1:5–8 Prayer. But what is a person supposed to do if they are not ‘mature and complete’? What if one fears failing the test? Paul’s answer would have been that they should live, or be led, by the Spirit (e.g. Gal. 5:16–18, 25). James’s answer is for them to ask God for wisdom, because divine wisdom is the power which James believes counteracts evil in human life. Such a prayer would not be useless, for God is a generous giver. Nor is his generosity hemmed in by a critical spirit: ‘What? You again! What did you do with what I gave you last time?’ Far from having that attitude, God simply gives to all who ask, time after time.
·Yet there is one requirement if we are to receive wisdom: the asking must flow out of faith in, or rather commitment to, God. The ‘doubting’ James warns about is not that of a person who wonders whether or not God will answer this particular request, or that of an introspective doubter who struggles with faith. Instead it is that of a person who is double-minded, a phrase with a close equivalent in the Psalms (Ps. 12:1–2), and which is the opposite of trusting God from one’s whole heart (Dt. 6:5; 8:3). In other words, this kind of a doubter is the person who is not wholly committed to God, but ‘plays safe’ by praying. Their real interest is in advancement in this world, but they also want to enjoy some of God’s blessings now and go to heaven when they die. Such a person will not get wisdom, James says.
·
· 9 Christians who are* poor should be glad, for God has honored them. 10 And those who are rich should be glad, for God has humbled them. They will fade away like a flower in the field. 11 The hot sun rises and dries up the grass; the flower withers, and its beauty fades away. So also, wealthy people will fade away with all of their achievements.
· What the poor person can rejoice in is that there is a place reserved for them in heaven. He is a son or a daughter of the most High God. Yes there are struggles in this world but we can rejoice in that we have an inheritance that is undefiled, that doesn't fade away, it's reserved, kept for us in heaven, it's worth more than any earthly treasure.
· The rich=here's the person who's wealthy according to the standards of men, he thought he was above, he could look down on others, all of the sudden that person get's saved, then they realize they're just a sinner saved by grace. And it says in Deut., God gives one man the ability to get wealth & He doesn't give it to another. Paul says we need to learn to be both abased & abound. So let those who are rich be glad in that God has brought life into perspective. He or she is not better than the poorest person on the planet, they are also a sinner saved by grace, & it's remarkable that they're saved because it says that it's harder for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to get into heaven.
· It doesn't say it's impossible, it says it's harder. Jesus says all things are possible w/ God. So let the rich person rejoice that life has come into perspective, he's been made low. Because They will fade away like a flower in the field. 11 The hot sun rises and dries up the grass; the flower withers, and its beauty fades away. So also, wealthy people will fade away with all of their achievements. They will die, rich or poor, we're all going there. "All of their achievments" are not in the achievments of Christ.
· 12 God blesses the people(rich or poor) who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. Whatever trials they may face & there are a host of trials that the rich endure, that those who are struggling go through. So when he is tried=tested out to completion is the idea. And Paul said at the end of his life, I kept the faith, I fought the good fight, I finished my course. There is within the course that God has designed for each of us, trials that we don't even know about today, we will face in God's grace, & in God's time. And a design within that to continue to conform us to the image of His Son.
· And it means blessed is the man who is tested out to completion. And none of this is to destroy. Ps. 121 says : 1 I look up to the mountains—
· does my help come from there?
· 2 My help comes from the Lord,
· who made the heavens and the earth!
· 3 He will not let you stumble and fall;
· the one who watches over you will not sleep.
· 4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel
· never tires and never sleeps.
· 6 The sun will not hurt you by day,
· nor the moon at night. Is speaking of the fact that when they traveled in the wilderness God had the pillar of cloud during the day to shade them, they never took the full brunt of the heat of the sun. The pillar of fire by night to warm them & to protect them & whatever trial they faced in their wilderness journey was what God allowed to happen. It was the restrained version of trial. And the idea is in our life, whatever comes is under what God allows and His protection of us & it will work to our benefit & it proves out to us who we are & what He is.
· Not because He needs to know but because we need to know. When a wedding is going on & you're reading," for richer or poorer", the couple is thinking about the reception & the honeymoon, they have no idea that as the years go by, those terms will define themselves in reality. But the interesting thing is, that is when the value of the relationship becomes evident, that we have something here that has endured years.It has withstood not only the good things but also the pressures of life.
· The idea also is the proving out till the end to realize His goodness, His faithfulness. You're ability to endure, once Christ has moved into your heart. Remember the commercials when they threw the luggage to the gorilla's & they banged them around? The message was this luggage is tough stuff. They're not trying to destroy luggage, they're trying to prove what it's worth.
· "Blessed", there is a blessing, a prosperous position to be in, not w/ worldly wealth or poverty, a blessed position to be in for the person who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Christianity 101 The Last Class
21 “Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as ‘Lord,’ but they still won’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven. 22 On judgment day many will tell me, ‘Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Go away; the things you did were unauthorized.* ’
· He is calling for a relationship here because He's saying be gone I'm going to say to them I never knew you.
· If you read in Amos & different places, that word "knew" is sometimes used for a husband knowing his wife, it's used of intimacy, what Jesus is saying is He is asking for a genuine relationship.
· This is not about religion, this is about relationship. And He's gonna say there are many who did many works in My name, they build hospitals, orphanages, they went out & did things, maybe they even had the facts straight.
· Maybe they have their creeds in the proper place, maybe they have their liturgy right in the church. But what Jesus is saying is there was never a relationship.
· There was never a new birth. There was never the entering of the narrow gate by brokenness & repentance & asking forgiveness of sin.
· Think of how God describes Himself as the Father & us as His children. For myself as a dad, I don't want my children just to see pics of me. I want to get on the floor & wrestle w/ them & be w/ them, they're my kids, wanna look in their faces, talk to them, walk w/ them. It was knowing Him & meeting Him & walking w/ Him & being forgiven by Him that changed my life.
· And He's saying many are gonna come & say didn't we do these works in Your name, many will say didn't we do miracles in Your name, didn't we do signs & wonders? Didn't we cast out devils, that's important because what it's saying is, just because you see a miraculour ministry, that does not endorse what you're seeing as an act of God.
· Now what does this mean & how does it apply to us? Let's turn to Acts 8 & see one who fell into this category.
· Chapter eight, Jesus of course @ this time had already died, resurrected from the dead, & ascended up into heaven. The book of Acts deals w/ the story of those first believers, the early chuch.
· At this time there was a man named Saul in ;1-3 who's going around persecuting Christians. He was a man devoted to God, He was a pharisee, a scholar, into Judaism radically who thought Christians were dangerous, a sect/cult. He thought he was doing God a favor as he was going house to house where Christians lived & he would drag them out & beat them & inprison them.
· Saul brought havoc upon the believers. H would soon become converted on the road to Damascus...But this is before that conversion experience. Saul is going around persecuting the church & the church is fleeing that persecution.
· 4 But the believers who had fled Jerusalem went everywhere preaching the Good News about Jesus. 5 Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah.
· One of those who went=;5 was Phillip & he went to Samaria. This must have confounded the Samaritans. They were confounded in that Phillip would come to them. They were half Jew & half Assyrian. Samaria was located between Jerusalem in the south & Galilee in the north. And the Jews avoided going thru no matter how great the delay might be. But Jesus went there. Years earlier in John four. And now we see Phil going there who's also a Jew, a Christian, it must have blown their minds as they saw Phil coming to Samaria.
· 6 Crowds listened intently to what he had to say because of the miracles he did.
· Not only confounded that he came to them, but they were also convicted by what he said to them. He preached Christ & it stirred something within them & he freed those who were also possessed w/ demons.
· 7 Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.
· They were convinced by what they saw, confounded that he came, convicted by what he said, convinced by what they saw; the lame were healed, the oppressed were delivered...Whole city filled w/ joy.
· 12 But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized.
· Confounded that he came, convicted by what he said, convinced by what they saw, but they were converted by the message that he brought. When they heard the preaching of the kingdom of God & the name of JC, that's when they were converted. Miracles, deliverances of demons, good deeds/good works, don't convert people. What does is the message of the kingdom of God, in the name of JC.
· We live in a time where people are increasingly fascinated by signs & wonders & miracles. What converts a person is the sharing of God's word. J the Baptist was called the greatest of all the OT prophets, & in John 10, we see why John was called the greatest.
· 41 And many followed him. “John didn’t do miracles,” they remarked to one another, “but all his predictions about this man have come true.” 42 And many believed in him there.
· That encourages me. Because I might not be able to confound people w/ my works or convince people w/ signs, wonders, & miracles. But I can see the conversion of people as I share the simple gospel. Jesus loves you & died for you & wants to live inside of you. And John was the greatest of all prophets; greater than Elijah who called down fire, greater than Moses who parted the Red Sea, John was the greatest though he did no mighty miracle. All things that he spoke of that man, JC were true. And every one of us can do that.
· You might not be able to call down fire, raise the dead, to heal the leper but, you can speak about Jesus. And that's where conversion takes place. They were converted when they heard the preaching of the kingdom in the name of Jesus, they were baptized, an outward sign of an inward acceptance but, there was one among them most interesting.
· 9 A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, claiming to be someone great. 10 The Samaritan people, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as “the Great One-the Power of God.” 11 He was very influential because of the magic he performed.
· Many traditions revolve around Simon the sorcerer. It is alleged: (a) that he was the founder of the Gnostic heresies, (b) that he went to Rome and perverted Christian doctrine there, and (c) that he became involved in a miracle contest with Peter and lost. At any rate, this Simon of Samaria did practice sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. Because of his “sorcery,” the ability to exercise control over nature and/or people by means of demonic power, people called him the Great Power. They may or may not have thought of him as possessing deity. At any rate Simon boasted that he was someone great, and the people of Samaria believed him. Furthermore, he accepted their adulation.
· Simon’s magic means his sorcery, his demonic powers (the Gr. words for “practiced sorcery” and “magic” are related).
13 Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the great miracles and signs Philip performed.
14 When the apostles back in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. 15 As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new Christians to receive the Holy Spirit. 16 The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 When Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given when the apostles placed their hands upon people’s heads, he offered money to buy this power. 19 “Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!”
20 But Peter replied, “May your money perish with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought! 21 You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right before God. 22 Turn from your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, 23 for I can see that you are full of bitterness and held captive by sin.”
24 “Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon exclaimed, “that these terrible things won’t happen to me!”
· Simon prophesed that he believed in the Lord, was baptized & yet we see him ending tragically: evidently Peter was given a supernatural word of knowledge regarding Simon. He ends without us knowing exactly what happened but, this is what we do know: The allusion to bitterness (lit., “gall of bitterness,” cholēn pikrias) seems to refer to Deuteronomy 29:18, which speaks of idolatry and bitter apostasy (cf. Heb. 12:15)
·
Discuss the Differences Between the Eunuch & the Sorcerer
24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
So there needs to be hearing & doing, okay two builders, we're all builders. Even without JC you may be building a career, studying @ the university, learning a trade, building a business, you're a builder. You're building towards retirement or going to the gym=building muscle, chasing a person of the opposite sex, all of us are building. The wise person is the person who hears the sayings of Jesus & then does them. The foolish person is the one who hears the sayings of Jesus, & then doesn't do them.
No doubt there are many that listen and walk out & continue to live in sin. Or they continue to ignore, they like the vibe of church, it's a different thing but, it does not impact their life or their heart. Jesus is now telling....Now this is simply it, are you building on the narrow way? When you listen to teachers or prophets, men who claim to be prophets, are they dircting you to the narrow way? Is it towards healing or prosperity or some other thing? There is a narrow way that leads to eternal life, it is the rock/JC. Jesus Christ & Him crucified. Paul said I have determined to know nothing among you, except Christ crucified.
And are we hearing His words & building our house upon the rock? You see He doesn't say if the wind blows & the rain falls, He says when. As God's children, He loves us, He has given His Son for us. But in this world, if it aint rained on you yet, it will. The winds of life will blow over us & the storms will come. It may just be the storm of age, as certain organs start to go & the eyes start to go. And the hair starts to go, you know the ultimate storm is death. The ultimate thing that blows over us is the end of life.
And for those that have been to Israel, it's very interesting to see the wilderness of Judea & how dry it is & how barren it is & they would build their homes there, these little adobe or stone buildings or mud-brick buildings sometimes, & they would build them but, it wasn't till the rainy season came & the "waddies" these waddies would fill w/ water & begin to flood down, that they would know whether they had really built upon rock, unless they had dug down first or if they had built on sand. And when the water would come & beat upon the house, if it was on the rock it would stand, if it was on the sand & the mud, it would get undermined & it would collapse. And you know by observation, both houses look the same.
And you know people that don't know Christ, that's what's important to them. The house, there's no foundation but above ground, it looks the same. And some people, that are all they care about, what other people think. "My house looks like the Christian’s house, my life looks like the Christian's life, in fact I make more money than the Christian does. I can have any girl I want. And I enjoy life more than the Christian does.” And all of that is fine, until the wind blows. And until the storms come. And the person who's a non-Christian if their child dies, you see a vast difference between them & the Christian whose child they know, has departed from this world & is waiting for a reunion, because that is rock solid.
You see a vast difference between the non-Christian who gets cancer & their life begins to disintegrate & they end up bitter, angry, or eating brown rice. And the Christian who gets cancer & turns to the Lord & certainly goes thru all the struggles but their comes a point where there's a relinquishing," okay God, You're in control. Worst-case scenario is my physical body dies & my soul & spirit come right into Your presence & I look into Your face. " That is rock solid.
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught with real authority-quite unlike their teachers of religious law.
They were astonished or troubled at His teaching. Because He did not speak like the Pharisees & Sadducees but He taught as one having authority. Because the Ph's & S's always quoted somebody else. Jesus said this is the way it is. If someone we know doesn't know Christ, pray that His words would cause him or her to be agitated/troubled because that's what it says. It says they were troubled when they were listening because they understood in their hearts, there was authority that what was being said was true. And if you're troubled today/tonight because you don't know Christ & you're not sure where your going to spend eternity, that's good because that means you know in your heart that what we're talking about is true. What I want you to do is pray to receive Him today. If you're feeling that in your heart, these crowds were troubled, they sensed that what they heard was true. And maybe you're one whose seen the false teachers on TV & you've seen the false prophets & you said to yourself," if this is Christianity I don't want it". Well Jesus said the same thing, He doesn't want it either. He's going to say be gone, I never knew you.
He's more repulsed by what's being done in His name than you are! If you're a non-believer & you've seen some of these shenanigans, & you look @ that & think, how can people believe that? I think the same thing, how can people believe that? It is wrong. And it is a farce. It is nonsense. But there wouldn't be a counterfeit unless there was the genuine. And Satan wouldn't bother to set up the false prophet as the pseudo prophet, the counterfeit. He wouldn't produce a counterfeit unless there was something genuine, worth counterfeiting, that he was trying to steal people away from.
And that is this: that God's only Son died on the cross for your sins & shed His own blood, that you can be washed & cleansed. He has taken your place in death & punishment, that you can take His place in life & forgiveness. That is the genuine thing. In this church building, we cannot guarantee that you'll always be healthy like so many of these health & wealth ministries do. We can't guarantee you that you'll always prosper, we can't do that. And we pray that you're healthy & that you prosper, that's wonderful & it's a blessing from God.
This is the guarantee we can give you & listen to it it's a guarantee: if you ask Jesus Christ to forgive your sins & to be your Lord & Savior, we can guarantee you, you will be forgiven & spend eternity in heaven. That is the guarantee we have. That is building your house, your life on a rock or you can listen to the things that are said & ignore them & discover in your own strength when the winds & storms of life blow, that beneath you, all you thought was worthwhile was only sand & washes away. That's your choice. For us as God's children, be wise, always take heed, look out for those phonies, you don't have to be afraid of being fruit inspectors. And have those guys are fruits, believe me. Fruits & nuts. You don't want to be judgmental without a cause. You should be discerning, you don't want to judge somebody in a different way than you expect to be judged when it comes your turn, so error on the side of mercy, not judgment.
You don't want to spend your life looking @ your brother or your sister's eye & it really bugs me when Christians are so hot on pursuing another Christian to demonstrate their flaws to the world. What will we do, have a party if their brother or sister is wrong? Like the world does, when they mock the church when they discover our flaws? Can't we do our laundry in-house, & deal w/ it in a biblical fashion? Don't spend your life judging other Christians, pray for them, and take the beam out of your eye. Pigs & dogs=another story. We need wisdom, we need discernment so we ask, we seek, we knock, and we go after God. We ask Him & He gives good gifts to us because we're His children. We're evil, we know how to take care of our kids, and He will give better things to us. And however we want to be treated, to sum it all up, that's the way we should treat others. Now, there's a narrow way & there's a broad way related to all this. And on that broad path there are many false teachers, false prophets & they imitate what is genuine or they imitate paths to God.
There's but one, that's Jesus Christ. And the easy way to tell them is they're after your money, you can see all the shenanigans, you know in your heart it's wrong. And you look @ the fruit of their ministry, it doesn't produce anything lasting. The fruit of the ministry of reconciliation of the cross of Christ produces a house that even when the ultimate storm of death comes, the house is not shaken, it stands.
· He is calling for a relationship here because He's saying be gone I'm going to say to them I never knew you.
· If you read in Amos & different places, that word "knew" is sometimes used for a husband knowing his wife, it's used of intimacy, what Jesus is saying is He is asking for a genuine relationship.
· This is not about religion, this is about relationship. And He's gonna say there are many who did many works in My name, they build hospitals, orphanages, they went out & did things, maybe they even had the facts straight.
· Maybe they have their creeds in the proper place, maybe they have their liturgy right in the church. But what Jesus is saying is there was never a relationship.
· There was never a new birth. There was never the entering of the narrow gate by brokenness & repentance & asking forgiveness of sin.
· Think of how God describes Himself as the Father & us as His children. For myself as a dad, I don't want my children just to see pics of me. I want to get on the floor & wrestle w/ them & be w/ them, they're my kids, wanna look in their faces, talk to them, walk w/ them. It was knowing Him & meeting Him & walking w/ Him & being forgiven by Him that changed my life.
· And He's saying many are gonna come & say didn't we do these works in Your name, many will say didn't we do miracles in Your name, didn't we do signs & wonders? Didn't we cast out devils, that's important because what it's saying is, just because you see a miraculour ministry, that does not endorse what you're seeing as an act of God.
· Now what does this mean & how does it apply to us? Let's turn to Acts 8 & see one who fell into this category.
· Chapter eight, Jesus of course @ this time had already died, resurrected from the dead, & ascended up into heaven. The book of Acts deals w/ the story of those first believers, the early chuch.
· At this time there was a man named Saul in ;1-3 who's going around persecuting Christians. He was a man devoted to God, He was a pharisee, a scholar, into Judaism radically who thought Christians were dangerous, a sect/cult. He thought he was doing God a favor as he was going house to house where Christians lived & he would drag them out & beat them & inprison them.
· Saul brought havoc upon the believers. H would soon become converted on the road to Damascus...But this is before that conversion experience. Saul is going around persecuting the church & the church is fleeing that persecution.
· 4 But the believers who had fled Jerusalem went everywhere preaching the Good News about Jesus. 5 Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah.
· One of those who went=;5 was Phillip & he went to Samaria. This must have confounded the Samaritans. They were confounded in that Phillip would come to them. They were half Jew & half Assyrian. Samaria was located between Jerusalem in the south & Galilee in the north. And the Jews avoided going thru no matter how great the delay might be. But Jesus went there. Years earlier in John four. And now we see Phil going there who's also a Jew, a Christian, it must have blown their minds as they saw Phil coming to Samaria.
· 6 Crowds listened intently to what he had to say because of the miracles he did.
· Not only confounded that he came to them, but they were also convicted by what he said to them. He preached Christ & it stirred something within them & he freed those who were also possessed w/ demons.
· 7 Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.
· They were convinced by what they saw, confounded that he came, convicted by what he said, convinced by what they saw; the lame were healed, the oppressed were delivered...Whole city filled w/ joy.
· 12 But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized.
· Confounded that he came, convicted by what he said, convinced by what they saw, but they were converted by the message that he brought. When they heard the preaching of the kingdom of God & the name of JC, that's when they were converted. Miracles, deliverances of demons, good deeds/good works, don't convert people. What does is the message of the kingdom of God, in the name of JC.
· We live in a time where people are increasingly fascinated by signs & wonders & miracles. What converts a person is the sharing of God's word. J the Baptist was called the greatest of all the OT prophets, & in John 10, we see why John was called the greatest.
· 41 And many followed him. “John didn’t do miracles,” they remarked to one another, “but all his predictions about this man have come true.” 42 And many believed in him there.
· That encourages me. Because I might not be able to confound people w/ my works or convince people w/ signs, wonders, & miracles. But I can see the conversion of people as I share the simple gospel. Jesus loves you & died for you & wants to live inside of you. And John was the greatest of all prophets; greater than Elijah who called down fire, greater than Moses who parted the Red Sea, John was the greatest though he did no mighty miracle. All things that he spoke of that man, JC were true. And every one of us can do that.
· You might not be able to call down fire, raise the dead, to heal the leper but, you can speak about Jesus. And that's where conversion takes place. They were converted when they heard the preaching of the kingdom in the name of Jesus, they were baptized, an outward sign of an inward acceptance but, there was one among them most interesting.
· 9 A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, claiming to be someone great. 10 The Samaritan people, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as “the Great One-the Power of God.” 11 He was very influential because of the magic he performed.
· Many traditions revolve around Simon the sorcerer. It is alleged: (a) that he was the founder of the Gnostic heresies, (b) that he went to Rome and perverted Christian doctrine there, and (c) that he became involved in a miracle contest with Peter and lost. At any rate, this Simon of Samaria did practice sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. Because of his “sorcery,” the ability to exercise control over nature and/or people by means of demonic power, people called him the Great Power. They may or may not have thought of him as possessing deity. At any rate Simon boasted that he was someone great, and the people of Samaria believed him. Furthermore, he accepted their adulation.
· Simon’s magic means his sorcery, his demonic powers (the Gr. words for “practiced sorcery” and “magic” are related).
13 Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the great miracles and signs Philip performed.
14 When the apostles back in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. 15 As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new Christians to receive the Holy Spirit. 16 The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 When Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given when the apostles placed their hands upon people’s heads, he offered money to buy this power. 19 “Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!”
20 But Peter replied, “May your money perish with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought! 21 You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right before God. 22 Turn from your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, 23 for I can see that you are full of bitterness and held captive by sin.”
24 “Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon exclaimed, “that these terrible things won’t happen to me!”
· Simon prophesed that he believed in the Lord, was baptized & yet we see him ending tragically: evidently Peter was given a supernatural word of knowledge regarding Simon. He ends without us knowing exactly what happened but, this is what we do know: The allusion to bitterness (lit., “gall of bitterness,” cholēn pikrias) seems to refer to Deuteronomy 29:18, which speaks of idolatry and bitter apostasy (cf. Heb. 12:15)
·
Discuss the Differences Between the Eunuch & the Sorcerer
24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
So there needs to be hearing & doing, okay two builders, we're all builders. Even without JC you may be building a career, studying @ the university, learning a trade, building a business, you're a builder. You're building towards retirement or going to the gym=building muscle, chasing a person of the opposite sex, all of us are building. The wise person is the person who hears the sayings of Jesus & then does them. The foolish person is the one who hears the sayings of Jesus, & then doesn't do them.
No doubt there are many that listen and walk out & continue to live in sin. Or they continue to ignore, they like the vibe of church, it's a different thing but, it does not impact their life or their heart. Jesus is now telling....Now this is simply it, are you building on the narrow way? When you listen to teachers or prophets, men who claim to be prophets, are they dircting you to the narrow way? Is it towards healing or prosperity or some other thing? There is a narrow way that leads to eternal life, it is the rock/JC. Jesus Christ & Him crucified. Paul said I have determined to know nothing among you, except Christ crucified.
And are we hearing His words & building our house upon the rock? You see He doesn't say if the wind blows & the rain falls, He says when. As God's children, He loves us, He has given His Son for us. But in this world, if it aint rained on you yet, it will. The winds of life will blow over us & the storms will come. It may just be the storm of age, as certain organs start to go & the eyes start to go. And the hair starts to go, you know the ultimate storm is death. The ultimate thing that blows over us is the end of life.
And for those that have been to Israel, it's very interesting to see the wilderness of Judea & how dry it is & how barren it is & they would build their homes there, these little adobe or stone buildings or mud-brick buildings sometimes, & they would build them but, it wasn't till the rainy season came & the "waddies" these waddies would fill w/ water & begin to flood down, that they would know whether they had really built upon rock, unless they had dug down first or if they had built on sand. And when the water would come & beat upon the house, if it was on the rock it would stand, if it was on the sand & the mud, it would get undermined & it would collapse. And you know by observation, both houses look the same.
And you know people that don't know Christ, that's what's important to them. The house, there's no foundation but above ground, it looks the same. And some people, that are all they care about, what other people think. "My house looks like the Christian’s house, my life looks like the Christian's life, in fact I make more money than the Christian does. I can have any girl I want. And I enjoy life more than the Christian does.” And all of that is fine, until the wind blows. And until the storms come. And the person who's a non-Christian if their child dies, you see a vast difference between them & the Christian whose child they know, has departed from this world & is waiting for a reunion, because that is rock solid.
You see a vast difference between the non-Christian who gets cancer & their life begins to disintegrate & they end up bitter, angry, or eating brown rice. And the Christian who gets cancer & turns to the Lord & certainly goes thru all the struggles but their comes a point where there's a relinquishing," okay God, You're in control. Worst-case scenario is my physical body dies & my soul & spirit come right into Your presence & I look into Your face. " That is rock solid.
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught with real authority-quite unlike their teachers of religious law.
They were astonished or troubled at His teaching. Because He did not speak like the Pharisees & Sadducees but He taught as one having authority. Because the Ph's & S's always quoted somebody else. Jesus said this is the way it is. If someone we know doesn't know Christ, pray that His words would cause him or her to be agitated/troubled because that's what it says. It says they were troubled when they were listening because they understood in their hearts, there was authority that what was being said was true. And if you're troubled today/tonight because you don't know Christ & you're not sure where your going to spend eternity, that's good because that means you know in your heart that what we're talking about is true. What I want you to do is pray to receive Him today. If you're feeling that in your heart, these crowds were troubled, they sensed that what they heard was true. And maybe you're one whose seen the false teachers on TV & you've seen the false prophets & you said to yourself," if this is Christianity I don't want it". Well Jesus said the same thing, He doesn't want it either. He's going to say be gone, I never knew you.
He's more repulsed by what's being done in His name than you are! If you're a non-believer & you've seen some of these shenanigans, & you look @ that & think, how can people believe that? I think the same thing, how can people believe that? It is wrong. And it is a farce. It is nonsense. But there wouldn't be a counterfeit unless there was the genuine. And Satan wouldn't bother to set up the false prophet as the pseudo prophet, the counterfeit. He wouldn't produce a counterfeit unless there was something genuine, worth counterfeiting, that he was trying to steal people away from.
And that is this: that God's only Son died on the cross for your sins & shed His own blood, that you can be washed & cleansed. He has taken your place in death & punishment, that you can take His place in life & forgiveness. That is the genuine thing. In this church building, we cannot guarantee that you'll always be healthy like so many of these health & wealth ministries do. We can't guarantee you that you'll always prosper, we can't do that. And we pray that you're healthy & that you prosper, that's wonderful & it's a blessing from God.
This is the guarantee we can give you & listen to it it's a guarantee: if you ask Jesus Christ to forgive your sins & to be your Lord & Savior, we can guarantee you, you will be forgiven & spend eternity in heaven. That is the guarantee we have. That is building your house, your life on a rock or you can listen to the things that are said & ignore them & discover in your own strength when the winds & storms of life blow, that beneath you, all you thought was worthwhile was only sand & washes away. That's your choice. For us as God's children, be wise, always take heed, look out for those phonies, you don't have to be afraid of being fruit inspectors. And have those guys are fruits, believe me. Fruits & nuts. You don't want to be judgmental without a cause. You should be discerning, you don't want to judge somebody in a different way than you expect to be judged when it comes your turn, so error on the side of mercy, not judgment.
You don't want to spend your life looking @ your brother or your sister's eye & it really bugs me when Christians are so hot on pursuing another Christian to demonstrate their flaws to the world. What will we do, have a party if their brother or sister is wrong? Like the world does, when they mock the church when they discover our flaws? Can't we do our laundry in-house, & deal w/ it in a biblical fashion? Don't spend your life judging other Christians, pray for them, and take the beam out of your eye. Pigs & dogs=another story. We need wisdom, we need discernment so we ask, we seek, we knock, and we go after God. We ask Him & He gives good gifts to us because we're His children. We're evil, we know how to take care of our kids, and He will give better things to us. And however we want to be treated, to sum it all up, that's the way we should treat others. Now, there's a narrow way & there's a broad way related to all this. And on that broad path there are many false teachers, false prophets & they imitate what is genuine or they imitate paths to God.
There's but one, that's Jesus Christ. And the easy way to tell them is they're after your money, you can see all the shenanigans, you know in your heart it's wrong. And you look @ the fruit of their ministry, it doesn't produce anything lasting. The fruit of the ministry of reconciliation of the cross of Christ produces a house that even when the ultimate storm of death comes, the house is not shaken, it stands.
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