I recently had a lengthy conversation with a man about Calvinism. In our conversation he made the following statement, “’Just looking at John 3:16 for example, where just recently I posted a Greek study on my (fb) wall on the word “world,” that showed that the word “world,” doesn’t refer to the “whole world.”’ Vine’s Greek dictionary disagrees with his interpretation. So while I know this post is quite long, I think that it provides a strong scriptural teaching that one can copy and use against this error.
Calvinists teach that Christ’s atoning sacrifice was limited to just an elect chosen group. In their teaching this must be true because God couldn’t love the “whole world” because it is clear that some reject Christ and in their belief if Jesus died for someone’s sins those sins must be eradicated as a result, or the only other option is universal salvation.
John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the WORLD that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The word used in the Greek is the word “kosmos” from which we get the English word, “cosmos.” Having studied Greek, I know that there is nothing in the Greek that infers that kosmos doesn’t refer to the whole world. Their teaching consists of what they believe has to be the context of the word in light of their belief that atonement is limited to those whom God has elected out of the world. Yet this contradicts 1 John 2:2 which says, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the WHOLE world.” His response was that WHOLE WORLD didn’t really mean “the entire world.” Yet if you would do a word study on the Greek word “holos” which was translated “whole,” you would quickly see there is no other possible meaning to the word. For example: Matt 5:29 says, "It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your “whole”(the Gk word “holos”) body to be thrown into hell."
His response was to send me links to a couple of commentaries yet even in the commentaries they made statements like, “The writer believes,” “It is the writer's position,” and “it is this writer's conclusion.” That means they are exercising their opinion in view of their bias. The Bible says in a very popular verse, “ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” ( 2 Tim 3:16-17 NKJV). Why can the man of God be completely equipped in regard to instruction in righteousness? It is because who better to tell us what they meant then the author’s themselves. Not all commentaries are reliable.
So I will give you some scriptures that prove that “kosmos” DOES refer to the every person in the world and NOT as some commentaries teach that it means the elect out of the Gentiles and that I am not merely relying upon 1 John 2:2 as a solo proof text for unlimited atonement. 1 Timothy 2:1-6 - I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for EVERYONE— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants ALL men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for ALL men — the testimony given in its proper time.
Heb 2:9: We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for EVERYONE. 2 Cor 5:14-15: For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for ALL, then were ALL dead: And that he died for ALL, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. This last verse is significant because the assumption that one died for all is the basis for proving that “all were dead.” The proof that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God is that Christ died for all according to this passage.
The following is a list of the passages that tell us that Christ Jesus sacrifice was once for ALL:
Rom 6:10: The death he died, he died to sin once for ALL; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
Heb 7:27: Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for ALL when he offered himself.
Heb 9:12: He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for ALL by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.
Heb 9:25-26: Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. 26 Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for ALL at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.
Heb 10:9-10: He said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for ALL.
1 Peter 3:18: For Christ died for sins once for ALL, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, Christ’s atoning death was NOT limited to just an “elect” group but for ALL. Notice in the following passages that the Cross cleansed all things:
Eph 1:9-10: He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment — to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
Col 1:19-20: For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
The significance of these two verses is that through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross ALL things whether in heaven or on earth were reconciled and brought together under one head. Again the point is that God does love all because Christ’s sacrifice was made for all and it is appropriated to all who believe.
Remember the story in the book of Acts where God in a vision to Peter let down a sheet full of all sorts of unclean animals? Peter refused to eat because he had never eaten anything impure or unclean. Then the voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean" (Acts 10:15). Was this merely a change in diet that God was making? No, notice what Peter said that he learned from this event, “God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean” (Acts 10:28). In other words, just as God cleansed all meats so God cleansed all men. Men are no longer condemned on the basis of their disobedience to God’s Law, but rather because they refuse to place their faith in Christ’s sacrifice for their sins. Jesus taught about the Holy Spirit: “When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me (John 16:8-9).
The only basis in which men (mankind) are rejected is because of their unbelief. The scriptures that I have quoted here are very plain as to their meaning, on the other side of the debate, there are no passages that say that Christ wasn’t the atoning sacrifice for everyone. There are no scriptures that say God ordained some to heaven and others he ordained to hell. They must depart from scripture or else apply an interpretation to passages that are not clearly stated.
One of the passages that is used by Calvinists is that of John chapter 10 and I will include the focal verses emphasized and then an explanation:
(v. 11) "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
(v.v. 14-16) "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father — and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.
(v.v. 24-28) "If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." 25 Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."
It is taught from this passage that Jesus is therefore only laying down his life for the sheep and not for all. The discerning factor of whether or not these were His sheep was either their acceptance or rejection of Christ’s word. Remember this passage follows the statement made by Jesus at the end of chapter 9:
John 9:35-41 - Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man (God - some versions)?" 36 "Who is he, sir?" the man asked. "Tell me so that I may believe in him." 37 Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, HE IS THE ONE SPEAKING WITH YOU." 38 Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." 40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, "What? Are we blind too?" 41 Jesus said, "IF YOU WERE BLIND, YOU WOULD NOT BE GUILTY OF SIN; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
The Pharisees were present when Jesus openly revealed himself as the Christ the special “Son of Man” or the “Son of God” as some versions like the KJV state. The Pharisees refused to believed Jesus’ word – as they also rejected the rest of the scriptures. The Biblical pattern is faith follows hearing the word (e.g., Acts, Rom 10:14-17; Eph 1:13, and many more too numerous to list). That the revelation of who Jesus was at one time hid from the majority of the Jewish leaders but later revealed through the preaching of the gospel is taught in the following verses:
"Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, (Acts 3:17-19). None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Cor 2:8). Their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away (2 Cor 3:14; 16-17).
The mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus (Eph 3:3-6).
Jesus had taught, “You diligently study the Scriptures because you THINK that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to COME TO ME to have life (John 5:39-40). God’s word is supposed to lead us to faith in Christ (Rom 10:17) we are not merely to believe a set of doctrines. Jesus saves us and not a particular teaching.
Isa 8:20 warns us to, “Look to God's instructions and teachings! People who contradict His Word are completely in the dark.” We must take heed that no one deceives us and the only way that will happen is if we have a love for the truth. May I encourage you today to make sure that what you believe is exactly what the Bible teaches.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Offended
I recently watched the YouTube video of the pastor of an AME church get slapped and attempt to slap back a member of his church. The report mentions that there were long standing problems between this pastor, who was appointed by his denomination’s leadership. One member is quoted as saying that the pastor had poor people skills – this became obvious as he swung back at the woman who slapped him.
In dismay I watched a Hispanic video of an infant baptism where a relative becomes upset with the priest. In response the priest actually publically calls her an idiot! She throws her purse at the priest and he retaliates by attempting to punch the woman out!
Jesus said, “Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” (Matt 18:7 NKJV). The word that is used in the Greek that is translated, “offences” pictures a snare made from a bent branch. This shows the deception behind an offence; it is a trap set for unsuspecting victims. Once a person is caught by a trap, they cannot get themselves out, especially without much difficulty. That is the power of offence, it so embitters people that they cannot be released from their animosity towards that other person.
I believe that Satan is behind trapping men and women in offences. The only way to avoid being taken in such a snare is to always be aware that traps have been set and we must deliberately keep our eyes open and be cautious to not be taken. The Bible teaches, “If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven — if there was anything to forgive — I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes” (2 Cor 2:10-11 NIV). Sadly, I think many Christians are completely unaware of Satan’s schemes and snares.
The videos are extreme examples of this. They are a total shame and contradiction to what Christ taught which is that if we do not forgive we ourselves will not be forgiven; that we are to always act in love – even to our enemies; that if someone slaps us on one cheek we should turn to them the other. We are never taught to return evil for evil, insult for insult, rather we are to entrust all things to God who alone is the Judge and Lawgiver.
There is the story of a man who was trapped on an uncharted island. When he was finally found, it was noticed that there were three hand-made huts on the island. When the man was questioned about the purpose of each of the huts he responded, “Well, the first hut was the one I made for my home. The second hut is my church.” “What about the third hut?” they inquired. “Well that was the church I used to attend!” he said.
Some people seem to be looking for a reason to be offended and to break fellowship with others. There was obviously a recognized need for unity in the Church otherwise Jesus would not have felt it necessary to pray for our unity before he was taken to be crucified for our sins. Here is how Jesus said it, “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:22-23). It is no wonder that the world struggles to believe that God so loved the world that He sent His Son when we are not in complete unity and are constantly being offended with each other.
We must “bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Col 3:13). If we do not love those we see, how can we say we love God? Because God commanded us to love and forgive each other. I beseech you in Christ’s name if you are offended with someone, especially in the Church, go to them and be reconciled.
In dismay I watched a Hispanic video of an infant baptism where a relative becomes upset with the priest. In response the priest actually publically calls her an idiot! She throws her purse at the priest and he retaliates by attempting to punch the woman out!
Jesus said, “Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” (Matt 18:7 NKJV). The word that is used in the Greek that is translated, “offences” pictures a snare made from a bent branch. This shows the deception behind an offence; it is a trap set for unsuspecting victims. Once a person is caught by a trap, they cannot get themselves out, especially without much difficulty. That is the power of offence, it so embitters people that they cannot be released from their animosity towards that other person.
I believe that Satan is behind trapping men and women in offences. The only way to avoid being taken in such a snare is to always be aware that traps have been set and we must deliberately keep our eyes open and be cautious to not be taken. The Bible teaches, “If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven — if there was anything to forgive — I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes” (2 Cor 2:10-11 NIV). Sadly, I think many Christians are completely unaware of Satan’s schemes and snares.
The videos are extreme examples of this. They are a total shame and contradiction to what Christ taught which is that if we do not forgive we ourselves will not be forgiven; that we are to always act in love – even to our enemies; that if someone slaps us on one cheek we should turn to them the other. We are never taught to return evil for evil, insult for insult, rather we are to entrust all things to God who alone is the Judge and Lawgiver.
There is the story of a man who was trapped on an uncharted island. When he was finally found, it was noticed that there were three hand-made huts on the island. When the man was questioned about the purpose of each of the huts he responded, “Well, the first hut was the one I made for my home. The second hut is my church.” “What about the third hut?” they inquired. “Well that was the church I used to attend!” he said.
Some people seem to be looking for a reason to be offended and to break fellowship with others. There was obviously a recognized need for unity in the Church otherwise Jesus would not have felt it necessary to pray for our unity before he was taken to be crucified for our sins. Here is how Jesus said it, “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:22-23). It is no wonder that the world struggles to believe that God so loved the world that He sent His Son when we are not in complete unity and are constantly being offended with each other.
We must “bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Col 3:13). If we do not love those we see, how can we say we love God? Because God commanded us to love and forgive each other. I beseech you in Christ’s name if you are offended with someone, especially in the Church, go to them and be reconciled.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Needing Help?
Recently I was sledding with my niece, nephew, my wife and another family from our church. We were sledding down a short but steep hill. At one point in the hill, you couldn’t help but scream or hold your breath because you were no longer able to maintain control. You had no other choice than to ride it out. Sometimes you crashed and other times you slid gracefully till you came to a stop. My last time down the hill I decided to ride down with my wife, I was in back and my feet hung out the front of the plastic sled. Ideally, I was supposed to keep my legs up but the steepness of the hill caused first my left foot to catch into the snow and pulled the hamstring in my left leg. My right foot caught and twisted my knee, which I heard snap. Needless to say, that hurt!
I couldn’t walk anymore in my own strength. My right knee could no longer support me and whenever it gave out I was in extreme pain. The hamstring muscle in my left leg made moving it almost impossible. I needed help. I could no longer rely upon my own will and determination to make it back up the hill and eventually to our car.
Now it wasn’t that I didn’t have to exert some effort, in fact it took quite a bit of effort on my part but I now had to rely on the support of those around me. Thank God they came to my aid, with their help and support I was able to lean upon them and make it up the hill and to our car. At home I had a knee brace and crutches waiting. We don’t have insurance so I could not go to a doctor.
My wife’s grandmother recently had a heart attack that caused her to go into a hospital and she is now in a rehabilitation facility. When asked how long she expected to be in the facility, she said, “about a week.” She is a strong-willed woman who doesn’t like to rely on others to take care of her. She is 89 and her husband has a similar character trait.
This past week, I listened to the family’s banter about her unwillingness to look to others for help, but I understand. It is difficult to believe that others are really willing to help. Many of our cries for help seem to fall on deaf ears. It seems like people only help because they have to help and so it is easier to just continue to carry the burden alone. It seems that we always respect those that “pull themselves up by their own bootstraps,” maybe that is because it doesn’t cost us any time, energy or expense when someone does.
Which is right? To only tell your burdens to God and pray that He alone will move heaven and earth to provide help, or is it better to let your needs be made known and appear weak? People say that fending for yourself is a pride thing, but then we immortalize great men of silent faith like George Mueller who never told anyone a need but only prayed to God to meet the need. Hudson Taylor, a contemporary to Mueller, believed that his needs and needs of China should be made known. Who was right? Even then it was a controversy.
Personally, I dislike asking for help. Personally, I am a bit wounded by the concept that the modern day church really cares. I have seen very little caring for the needs of others in the modern church. I have grown to believe that people, even in the church, only want to be blessed – not to be a blessing. While I could teach a Bible study as to why this is wrong, I have to admit that I have often let the focus on my own needs distract me from being a blessing to others. This is wrong and it is my determined goal for the upcoming year to change this about myself. I sincerely believe that God didn’t call us merely to be blessed but to be a blessing.
I have come to believe that I will always be in need, so maybe my life can be an example for others. God help us as the church to be who He has called us to be. "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers" (Gal 6:10). Are you needing help? Let me know and I will do all I can till your need is met.
Phil 2:4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
I couldn’t walk anymore in my own strength. My right knee could no longer support me and whenever it gave out I was in extreme pain. The hamstring muscle in my left leg made moving it almost impossible. I needed help. I could no longer rely upon my own will and determination to make it back up the hill and eventually to our car.
Now it wasn’t that I didn’t have to exert some effort, in fact it took quite a bit of effort on my part but I now had to rely on the support of those around me. Thank God they came to my aid, with their help and support I was able to lean upon them and make it up the hill and to our car. At home I had a knee brace and crutches waiting. We don’t have insurance so I could not go to a doctor.
My wife’s grandmother recently had a heart attack that caused her to go into a hospital and she is now in a rehabilitation facility. When asked how long she expected to be in the facility, she said, “about a week.” She is a strong-willed woman who doesn’t like to rely on others to take care of her. She is 89 and her husband has a similar character trait.
This past week, I listened to the family’s banter about her unwillingness to look to others for help, but I understand. It is difficult to believe that others are really willing to help. Many of our cries for help seem to fall on deaf ears. It seems like people only help because they have to help and so it is easier to just continue to carry the burden alone. It seems that we always respect those that “pull themselves up by their own bootstraps,” maybe that is because it doesn’t cost us any time, energy or expense when someone does.
Which is right? To only tell your burdens to God and pray that He alone will move heaven and earth to provide help, or is it better to let your needs be made known and appear weak? People say that fending for yourself is a pride thing, but then we immortalize great men of silent faith like George Mueller who never told anyone a need but only prayed to God to meet the need. Hudson Taylor, a contemporary to Mueller, believed that his needs and needs of China should be made known. Who was right? Even then it was a controversy.
Personally, I dislike asking for help. Personally, I am a bit wounded by the concept that the modern day church really cares. I have seen very little caring for the needs of others in the modern church. I have grown to believe that people, even in the church, only want to be blessed – not to be a blessing. While I could teach a Bible study as to why this is wrong, I have to admit that I have often let the focus on my own needs distract me from being a blessing to others. This is wrong and it is my determined goal for the upcoming year to change this about myself. I sincerely believe that God didn’t call us merely to be blessed but to be a blessing.
I have come to believe that I will always be in need, so maybe my life can be an example for others. God help us as the church to be who He has called us to be. "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers" (Gal 6:10). Are you needing help? Let me know and I will do all I can till your need is met.
Phil 2:4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Who Speaks For God?
Did you ever wonder how some people speak like God tells them what to do in almost every situation; while you struggle to understand His voice and His will? As a pastor, I have heard far too many times, “God is telling me that I need to _____” (fill in the blank with some ridiculous statement that you KNOW is just what THEY want and not really what God wants).
I call this “pulling the God-card.” When people pull the “God-card” it is meant to trump anything that anyone (especially the pastor) might say to them to give advice in opposition. After all, who can speak against God? I have heard of individuals who so believed that everything they did was a result of a direct pipeline from heaven that they could no longer be spoken to about their attitude, the needs of the congregation, the wisdom and leading of the Sr. Pastor, or if what they did was actually in truth of God.
What is the real problem behind letting every whim of your heart have God’s divine stamp of approval? Is it not essentially the same when prophets speak out in the church? Don’t they merely follow the promptings of their heart and add, “Thus says the Lord?” Indeed the greatest problem from those who say that God tells them to _____; comes from those who speak for God in the church. Out of order, they use their “gift” to trump what the pastor says, what the person who has irked them has done, or to get others to do their bidding-whatever it may be.
What is at the heart of the problem? I would say it is that these people have grown too familiar with God. We teach and sing so much, “I am a friend of God,” and that we have bold access to the throne of grace, that we are no longer afraid to touch the ark of God to give Him a “helping hand.”
This is polar opposite of Isaiah’s reaction when he entered God’s presence. “Yo, yo. G-man waaaaasssup?” didn’t dare be uttered in the presence of the Holy King (who by the way was Jesus according to John 12:41). No, the more common reaction of those who were God’s prophets was that of fear (e.g., Moses, Daniel, Ezekiel, Habakkuk, John, etc.).
There should be a fear of attaching God’s name falsely to our own plans. In the Old Testament, false prophets were to be killed and God spoke very harshly when His people allowed them to speak without rebuke. Here are some examples: The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way (Jer 5:31). Then the Lord said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds (Jer 14:14). This is what the Lord Almighty says: "Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord (Jer 23:16).
Jesus, our friend, tells us that men will be judged for every careless word spoken (Mt 12:36), and that there will be some who prophesied in His name, to whom He will say, “Depart from me, I never knew you (Mt 7:22-23).” My advice as a pastor and one who has heard God speak; don’t be so quick to say, “God told me…,” without fear of what our Holy God would actually say to you in response.
I call this “pulling the God-card.” When people pull the “God-card” it is meant to trump anything that anyone (especially the pastor) might say to them to give advice in opposition. After all, who can speak against God? I have heard of individuals who so believed that everything they did was a result of a direct pipeline from heaven that they could no longer be spoken to about their attitude, the needs of the congregation, the wisdom and leading of the Sr. Pastor, or if what they did was actually in truth of God.
What is the real problem behind letting every whim of your heart have God’s divine stamp of approval? Is it not essentially the same when prophets speak out in the church? Don’t they merely follow the promptings of their heart and add, “Thus says the Lord?” Indeed the greatest problem from those who say that God tells them to _____; comes from those who speak for God in the church. Out of order, they use their “gift” to trump what the pastor says, what the person who has irked them has done, or to get others to do their bidding-whatever it may be.
What is at the heart of the problem? I would say it is that these people have grown too familiar with God. We teach and sing so much, “I am a friend of God,” and that we have bold access to the throne of grace, that we are no longer afraid to touch the ark of God to give Him a “helping hand.”
This is polar opposite of Isaiah’s reaction when he entered God’s presence. “Yo, yo. G-man waaaaasssup?” didn’t dare be uttered in the presence of the Holy King (who by the way was Jesus according to John 12:41). No, the more common reaction of those who were God’s prophets was that of fear (e.g., Moses, Daniel, Ezekiel, Habakkuk, John, etc.).
There should be a fear of attaching God’s name falsely to our own plans. In the Old Testament, false prophets were to be killed and God spoke very harshly when His people allowed them to speak without rebuke. Here are some examples: The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way (Jer 5:31). Then the Lord said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds (Jer 14:14). This is what the Lord Almighty says: "Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord (Jer 23:16).
Jesus, our friend, tells us that men will be judged for every careless word spoken (Mt 12:36), and that there will be some who prophesied in His name, to whom He will say, “Depart from me, I never knew you (Mt 7:22-23).” My advice as a pastor and one who has heard God speak; don’t be so quick to say, “God told me…,” without fear of what our Holy God would actually say to you in response.
Friday, November 13, 2009
The Greatest Gift
As we near the Christmas season, our attention begins to focus on gift giving. When we search for gifts we are most generally trying to find a gift that will be appreciated and one that touches the heart of the recipient. We make lists, but we are not trying to just check them off a list.
So I believe it is with God. God didn’t just try to win our affections by a wonderful gift; He gave us the greatest gift He could give us. This gift will be truly appreciated by those who receive it. Notwithstanding listing His Son as the greatest gift – I want to reveal the more personal aspect of this gift.
If you ask people why Jesus came, I think they will respond in the manner that others have spoken to me as to the reason. They generally say, “Jesus came to forgive us by being the sacrifice for our sins.” The promise of the forgiveness of our sins is truly an awesome gift I too admit and I don’t want to negate how truly important it is that God “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us,” (Ps 103:12). The letter to the Hebrews mentions how important it is to have our conscience cleansed from the guilt of our sin (Heb 10:22).
But consider this: If we went to the closest prison and we told them, “You are all forgiven. You may now all go free.” What do you think will be the eventual outcome of the majority of those prisoners? In other words, will the majority go on to live good and godly lives or will they become repeat offenders and eventually find themselves back in prison? Statistically the latter is true. Why? The reason is because they had no real change of heart and thinking. That is why an understanding of the fullness of God’s gift to us (His grace) is really necessary.
Jesus had a real problem with the religious leaders of His day because, in His words, they were “white-washed graves full of dead men’s bones.” Continuing He declared, “On the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness,” (Matt 23:28). Can you see that forgiveness of sins doesn’t answer the real problem – their hearts were full of sin?
The Bible teaches, “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:17). The greatest gift promised to us is that God says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws” (Ezek 36:26-27). It is the very promise of the New Covenant (Heb 8:8-10):
“The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant …It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant…This is the covenant I will make…I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.”
When we live by the Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature (Gal 5:16). That is God’s promise to us. He works in us to will and to act according to His good purpose (Phil 2:13). When we yield ourselves to His Spirit by our continual faith (“daily reckoning upon” – as stated in the 16 fundamentals) we are set free from the dominion of sin and actually preempt the need for forgiveness and deliverance from the consequences of sin.
Which is greater? To say “Your sins are forgiven.” Or to say, “Rise up and walk” free from sins desires in your heart? We are told that we can now walk in “newness of life” sin has no more dominion over us. How do we receive this newness? The Bible says, “For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith," (Rom 1:17). And again, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him,” (Col 2:6).
p.s. At Hope Springs Church we will begin a series on how to overcome sin and temptation following our current series on resolving conflicts biblically. If you would like more information, you may contact me at (262) 716-1376.
So I believe it is with God. God didn’t just try to win our affections by a wonderful gift; He gave us the greatest gift He could give us. This gift will be truly appreciated by those who receive it. Notwithstanding listing His Son as the greatest gift – I want to reveal the more personal aspect of this gift.
If you ask people why Jesus came, I think they will respond in the manner that others have spoken to me as to the reason. They generally say, “Jesus came to forgive us by being the sacrifice for our sins.” The promise of the forgiveness of our sins is truly an awesome gift I too admit and I don’t want to negate how truly important it is that God “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us,” (Ps 103:12). The letter to the Hebrews mentions how important it is to have our conscience cleansed from the guilt of our sin (Heb 10:22).
But consider this: If we went to the closest prison and we told them, “You are all forgiven. You may now all go free.” What do you think will be the eventual outcome of the majority of those prisoners? In other words, will the majority go on to live good and godly lives or will they become repeat offenders and eventually find themselves back in prison? Statistically the latter is true. Why? The reason is because they had no real change of heart and thinking. That is why an understanding of the fullness of God’s gift to us (His grace) is really necessary.
Jesus had a real problem with the religious leaders of His day because, in His words, they were “white-washed graves full of dead men’s bones.” Continuing He declared, “On the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness,” (Matt 23:28). Can you see that forgiveness of sins doesn’t answer the real problem – their hearts were full of sin?
The Bible teaches, “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:17). The greatest gift promised to us is that God says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws” (Ezek 36:26-27). It is the very promise of the New Covenant (Heb 8:8-10):
“The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant …It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant…This is the covenant I will make…I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.”
When we live by the Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature (Gal 5:16). That is God’s promise to us. He works in us to will and to act according to His good purpose (Phil 2:13). When we yield ourselves to His Spirit by our continual faith (“daily reckoning upon” – as stated in the 16 fundamentals) we are set free from the dominion of sin and actually preempt the need for forgiveness and deliverance from the consequences of sin.
Which is greater? To say “Your sins are forgiven.” Or to say, “Rise up and walk” free from sins desires in your heart? We are told that we can now walk in “newness of life” sin has no more dominion over us. How do we receive this newness? The Bible says, “For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith," (Rom 1:17). And again, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him,” (Col 2:6).
p.s. At Hope Springs Church we will begin a series on how to overcome sin and temptation following our current series on resolving conflicts biblically. If you would like more information, you may contact me at (262) 716-1376.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Missing Heaven’s Nudge
Currently I am reading the latest book by Bruce Wilkinson titled, “You Were Born For This.” It has inspired many thoughts and examples in my own life in regard to partnering with God for miracles. I would like to share some of those thoughts, but first I want to outline the premise of Bruce’s book, (which I recommend highly).
The first premise follows the popular concept mentioned in Henry Blackaby’s book, “Experiencing God,” namely that God is always at work according to Jesus in John chapter 5. Bruce describes heaven’s agenda as constantly looking to work on the behalf of those whose heart is faithful toward Him (2 Chron 16:9). The belief is that God sees, God cares, and that God wants to answer in miraculous ways in the lives of those whom He loves. How many of have needs? How many of us question if God really cares? How many of us are trying to convince God to act on our behalf?
The second concept is that there are 3 ways in which God performs the miraculous: 1. God acts solely to perform the miracle (e.g., the creation). 2. God sends an angel or angels to provide the miracle (e.g., God’s answer to Daniel’s prayer). 3. God uses humans (us) to deliver the miracle to others (e.g., we lay hands on the sick and they recover – we are His body so I believe God's first desire is to "co-labor" with us. See 1 Cor 3:9 and 2 Cor 6:1).
There is another concept he teaches that I want to mention. That is that our good deeds or acts of service are necessary but NOT miraculous. Acts of service are more appropriately called ministry (to serve is at the heart of the meaning for the word “ministry). Our ministry added to God’s supernatural power results in miracles.
Understanding these things, recently I went through the passage in Numbers where God tells Moses to send heads from each of the tribes of Israel into the Promised Land to spy, or scout out the land. What Moses tells them to look for reminded me of our modern demographic reports when we look at an area we hope to possess for the Lord by planting a church. “Look the land over, see what it is like. Assess the people: Are they strong or weak? Are there few or many? Observe the land: Is it pleasant or harsh? Describe the towns where they live: Are they open camps or fortified with walls? And the soil: Is it fertile or barren? Are there forests? And try to bring back a sample of the produce that grows there — this is the season for the first ripe grapes."(Num 13:18-20 Message).
My paraphrased result of this assessment to the majority was, “We cannot do it. If we try we will fail miserably. It will result in much loss to our assembly (denomination), our families, and our witness.” Notice how the whole congregation missed God using them to perform the miraculous because they only looked naturally. This affirms in my mind the scripture that says, the world by human wisdom cannot know God (1 Cor 1:21). I think it would be fair to also say our wisdom prevents us from experiencing God at times. How many miracles do we miss because in our own logic we are afraid to step out and respond to God’s heart revealed in scripture, or heaven’s nudge upon our hearts?
The Bible teaches there is an exceeding great power that is available to work in us who believe it (Eph 1:19). What happens when we do not believe that God wants us to act? What happens to the prayers of those who have stepped out in faith when God wants to use someone and their ministry gifts to be used to answer that prayer but they doubt?
I think the interaction is similar to that found in the story of Ananias found in Acts chapter 9. God says, “Ananias I want you to go and pray for a man that is praying named Saul so that he can receive his sight.” Ananias responds, “I have heard about this man – he is a bad man who hurts your people and he has come here to do the same.” God again tells him, “Go!”
What if Ananias refused to go? What if God prompted others and they refused to go? What happens to Saul? What happens to his eternal soul? What happens to everyone he was meant to reach by his preaching? You may say, “I would never refuse God. I wouldn’t have even argued with God.” But…let me ask you … is that really so?
How many believe in reaching the world with the gospel? What have you done to accomplish that?
How many believe in church planting? Yet how many of you pastors actually initiate a church plant or support church plants within our fellowship?
How many people believe they have been gifted by God to serve? Yet, how have you used those gifts and resources that God has given you? (I have met many prophets, teachers, and leaders who are merely judges of what another person is doing for God).
How did Phillip feel the nudge of heaven to leave an existing work to minister to a culturally different man leaving his city in a chariot? What if he missed heaven’s nudge?
One morning as I was praying, I felt a nudge, “Go to George Webb’s (restaurant).” I don’t like George Webb’s for a number of reasons: the food, the cigarette smoke, the atmosphere, etc. So when I felt this nudge I pondered if it might be God. So I went to grab my things and continue my devotions at the restaurant. I felt another nudge, “Grab some tracts also, you are going to need them.”
I sat at a table and ordered a cup of coffee and began to read my Bible placed on the table in front of me. I kept my head in the book so to speak, in spite of seeing a man smoking a cigarette at the counter looking at me. He approached my table and declared, “That’s a Bible!” In a somewhat sarcastic tone I responded, “Good job. You’re right!” But then I felt heaven’s nudge again so I changed my tone and asked the man, “Have you any experience reading the Bible?” That opened up a long conversation which resulted in me leading the man in prayer to the Lord for forgiveness and salvation. This man agreed to be discipled and is still in the church today.
Recently I felt the nudge to plant a church in the Oconomowoc area so my wife and I began to reach out into the area. One minister offered to create signs for the church, as a result the signs sat unused during the week at our home just southwest of Oconomowoc. One day I felt the nudge to just stand them out in the yard for the traffic to see. As a result, a man stopped at the house and inquired about the church. He told us how his past experience with churches had made him bitter. But as he drove by going to work day by day, he felt prompted to stop and ask about the church. He was obviously hurting from the lack of concern showed to him by a previous church. We took the time to answer his questions in spite of him seeming antagonistic. We invited him to a study/worship time in our home and a meal afterward and now he is helping to get the word out about our church plant. He believes we are a miracle for his family.
There are many other stories that I have experienced since that time; many involve the church plant where I pastor now. But my question is not just, “what if I had missed heaven’s nudge?” rather, “how many other nudges have I missed?”
The first premise follows the popular concept mentioned in Henry Blackaby’s book, “Experiencing God,” namely that God is always at work according to Jesus in John chapter 5. Bruce describes heaven’s agenda as constantly looking to work on the behalf of those whose heart is faithful toward Him (2 Chron 16:9). The belief is that God sees, God cares, and that God wants to answer in miraculous ways in the lives of those whom He loves. How many of have needs? How many of us question if God really cares? How many of us are trying to convince God to act on our behalf?
The second concept is that there are 3 ways in which God performs the miraculous: 1. God acts solely to perform the miracle (e.g., the creation). 2. God sends an angel or angels to provide the miracle (e.g., God’s answer to Daniel’s prayer). 3. God uses humans (us) to deliver the miracle to others (e.g., we lay hands on the sick and they recover – we are His body so I believe God's first desire is to "co-labor" with us. See 1 Cor 3:9 and 2 Cor 6:1).
There is another concept he teaches that I want to mention. That is that our good deeds or acts of service are necessary but NOT miraculous. Acts of service are more appropriately called ministry (to serve is at the heart of the meaning for the word “ministry). Our ministry added to God’s supernatural power results in miracles.
Understanding these things, recently I went through the passage in Numbers where God tells Moses to send heads from each of the tribes of Israel into the Promised Land to spy, or scout out the land. What Moses tells them to look for reminded me of our modern demographic reports when we look at an area we hope to possess for the Lord by planting a church. “Look the land over, see what it is like. Assess the people: Are they strong or weak? Are there few or many? Observe the land: Is it pleasant or harsh? Describe the towns where they live: Are they open camps or fortified with walls? And the soil: Is it fertile or barren? Are there forests? And try to bring back a sample of the produce that grows there — this is the season for the first ripe grapes."(Num 13:18-20 Message).
My paraphrased result of this assessment to the majority was, “We cannot do it. If we try we will fail miserably. It will result in much loss to our assembly (denomination), our families, and our witness.” Notice how the whole congregation missed God using them to perform the miraculous because they only looked naturally. This affirms in my mind the scripture that says, the world by human wisdom cannot know God (1 Cor 1:21). I think it would be fair to also say our wisdom prevents us from experiencing God at times. How many miracles do we miss because in our own logic we are afraid to step out and respond to God’s heart revealed in scripture, or heaven’s nudge upon our hearts?
The Bible teaches there is an exceeding great power that is available to work in us who believe it (Eph 1:19). What happens when we do not believe that God wants us to act? What happens to the prayers of those who have stepped out in faith when God wants to use someone and their ministry gifts to be used to answer that prayer but they doubt?
I think the interaction is similar to that found in the story of Ananias found in Acts chapter 9. God says, “Ananias I want you to go and pray for a man that is praying named Saul so that he can receive his sight.” Ananias responds, “I have heard about this man – he is a bad man who hurts your people and he has come here to do the same.” God again tells him, “Go!”
What if Ananias refused to go? What if God prompted others and they refused to go? What happens to Saul? What happens to his eternal soul? What happens to everyone he was meant to reach by his preaching? You may say, “I would never refuse God. I wouldn’t have even argued with God.” But…let me ask you … is that really so?
How many believe in reaching the world with the gospel? What have you done to accomplish that?
How many believe in church planting? Yet how many of you pastors actually initiate a church plant or support church plants within our fellowship?
How many people believe they have been gifted by God to serve? Yet, how have you used those gifts and resources that God has given you? (I have met many prophets, teachers, and leaders who are merely judges of what another person is doing for God).
How did Phillip feel the nudge of heaven to leave an existing work to minister to a culturally different man leaving his city in a chariot? What if he missed heaven’s nudge?
One morning as I was praying, I felt a nudge, “Go to George Webb’s (restaurant).” I don’t like George Webb’s for a number of reasons: the food, the cigarette smoke, the atmosphere, etc. So when I felt this nudge I pondered if it might be God. So I went to grab my things and continue my devotions at the restaurant. I felt another nudge, “Grab some tracts also, you are going to need them.”
I sat at a table and ordered a cup of coffee and began to read my Bible placed on the table in front of me. I kept my head in the book so to speak, in spite of seeing a man smoking a cigarette at the counter looking at me. He approached my table and declared, “That’s a Bible!” In a somewhat sarcastic tone I responded, “Good job. You’re right!” But then I felt heaven’s nudge again so I changed my tone and asked the man, “Have you any experience reading the Bible?” That opened up a long conversation which resulted in me leading the man in prayer to the Lord for forgiveness and salvation. This man agreed to be discipled and is still in the church today.
Recently I felt the nudge to plant a church in the Oconomowoc area so my wife and I began to reach out into the area. One minister offered to create signs for the church, as a result the signs sat unused during the week at our home just southwest of Oconomowoc. One day I felt the nudge to just stand them out in the yard for the traffic to see. As a result, a man stopped at the house and inquired about the church. He told us how his past experience with churches had made him bitter. But as he drove by going to work day by day, he felt prompted to stop and ask about the church. He was obviously hurting from the lack of concern showed to him by a previous church. We took the time to answer his questions in spite of him seeming antagonistic. We invited him to a study/worship time in our home and a meal afterward and now he is helping to get the word out about our church plant. He believes we are a miracle for his family.
There are many other stories that I have experienced since that time; many involve the church plant where I pastor now. But my question is not just, “what if I had missed heaven’s nudge?” rather, “how many other nudges have I missed?”
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The Origin of Faith and Love
At Hope Springs Christian Church, in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, our message is one of Hope. It doesn’t matter where you came from or where you are at, if you don’t have hope for the future you will lose your confidence in the now. Hope affects your confidence because what you hope for affects what you believe now. The Bible says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see,” (Heb 11:1). You can see how our present confidence is affected by what we hope for.
The word “confidence” comes from two root words -“con” - meaning ‘with’ and “fide” - meaning ‘faith.’ The instability of our current world can cause us to loose confidence in our government, the financial system, our health care system, and large corporations if we have place our faith with them. We can easily loose hope that things will change. That is why faith in the God of Hope is so important. He never changes, His word is an immovable rock, and His promises are a sworn truth so that we can lay hold of the hope that is set before us as and anchor for our souls (Heb. 6:18-19). We only have faith or live life with confidence if we have hope. The Bible says that ‘faith and love’ spring from the hope that is given to us in the word of God (Rom 10:17 and Col 1:5).
Because what we believe affects the way in which we act, we see love comes from faith in God’s word. In fact, our faith is dead if it is not expressing itself by love (Gal 5:6). The Bible goes on to teach that our works of faith are prompted by our love (1 Thes 1:3).
This is the message of hope: “Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast,” (Eph 2:4-5; 8-9).
The future is bright because God has already caused us to triumph in Christ Jesus, if we will receive it. I challenge you to begin looking at how the Bible teaches what Christ has already done. It is said, "All other religions can be summed up in a single word - 'do.' While Christianity can alone be summed up in the single word - 'done.'"
The word “confidence” comes from two root words -“con” - meaning ‘with’ and “fide” - meaning ‘faith.’ The instability of our current world can cause us to loose confidence in our government, the financial system, our health care system, and large corporations if we have place our faith with them. We can easily loose hope that things will change. That is why faith in the God of Hope is so important. He never changes, His word is an immovable rock, and His promises are a sworn truth so that we can lay hold of the hope that is set before us as and anchor for our souls (Heb. 6:18-19). We only have faith or live life with confidence if we have hope. The Bible says that ‘faith and love’ spring from the hope that is given to us in the word of God (Rom 10:17 and Col 1:5).
Because what we believe affects the way in which we act, we see love comes from faith in God’s word. In fact, our faith is dead if it is not expressing itself by love (Gal 5:6). The Bible goes on to teach that our works of faith are prompted by our love (1 Thes 1:3).
This is the message of hope: “Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast,” (Eph 2:4-5; 8-9).
The future is bright because God has already caused us to triumph in Christ Jesus, if we will receive it. I challenge you to begin looking at how the Bible teaches what Christ has already done. It is said, "All other religions can be summed up in a single word - 'do.' While Christianity can alone be summed up in the single word - 'done.'"
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