Who are you going to believe?

I was once at an event about Biblical creation. In the parking lot, I met a group of protestors. Atheists who came to tell me I was believing a lie and should be ashamed for bringing my kids to an exhibit based on blind faith. They told me (in many different ways) I should abandon "faith" and trust in reason. Scientist, they said, are neutral and are only concerned with the facts and come to a conclusion after fair deliberation. I suppose, once a man puts on the sacred white lab coat, they cannot lie and are infallible. It's a popular, albeit false premise. Both creationist and evolutionist deal with the same evidence. The difference stems from  faith and belief. You cannot recreate evolution to examine it by scientific method. Creation and the origin of the species are historical events. Observing changes in kinds of animals is not the same as observing one species evolve into another.  It comes down to our starting points and who we are going to believe.

Maybe you are thinking, “Sure, Bible believing scientists have the evidence, but they have a preconceived agenda.” But, how can an evolutionary scientist be fair and unbiased while excluding possible outcomes from the beginning? The assumption of evolutionist is God did not create the Heavens and the Earth in six literal days. Every test starts with the assumption there is no God, which is coming to the table with a preconceived bias. Everyone has a predisposition. Neutrality is a myth.

Here is some evidence I would like to bring to your attention. Not about creation or evolution, but about man.  You can test it out yourself and use your friends, family as subjects. Every man is a liar (Romans 3:4). All of humanity are liars (Psalm 116:11). We have all sinned (Romans 3:23) and have a deceitful heart, even fooling ourselves (Jeremiah 17:9). The evidence of our wicked heart is how we live (Matthew 15:19-20). If you tell me the Bible isn't accurate about the heart of man, then you are a liar and are deceived, and also prove my point. The same Bible that gives us such an unflattering, yet accurate look at our own heart tells us that the Bible is true (Psalm 119:160) and it's an enduring truth that will not be overturned (Psalm 117:2) from a source of infinite understanding (Psalm 147:5).  Who are you going to believe?

Since science cannot recreate origins, everyone must start somewhere with an assumption to interpret the data. There may be millions of volumes of scientific writing on the big bang, or evolution, but that is a mountain of research, all written on the assumption of an unprovable theory, from fallible humans. Are you willing to build your view of the world, and eternity based on the words of biased, agenda based men?  Are their studies a sure foundation for your soul? Will you trust in the ever-changing works of scientist and live and die by their conclusions? 

Since the beginning, Satan has attacked God’s word telling Eve “Ye shall not surely die” when God said they would if they ate the fruit. Eve had to ask herself “who am I going to believe?” It was a direct attack on the authority of God’s word. Every since, man and Devil alike have attacked God’s word, its truthfulness, its accuracy, its reliability, its authenticity; yet the Word of God remains! The great shame of it is that God’s children put more faith in a fallible scientist and believe gap theories and theistic evolution rather than the Holy Spirit. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Hebrews 11:1-3 Who are you going to believe? Faith in a scientist or faith in the Word of God? We will use the Bible as our proof, because it is the best proof and it would be foolish not to use it. Why hide the very Word of God as our proof and try to use words of men when God has plainly told us in His inerrant word. Who are you going to believe?

Who are you going to believe? The scientist starts saying there is no God. We start with the text “In the beginning, God created the Heaven and the Earth (Gen 1:1).” The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and to exclude the Bible from the start is to assume the evolutionist is correct in their claims about God. Evolutionist insists we start with the idea there is not God, then look at the facts, which of course is prejudice to the fact there is a God. It is not impartiality or objectivity to speak about creation without using the Bible, it is extreme bias. The Bible is our starting place. The Bible is the unchangeable, infallible Word of God, so we must look at everything through the eyes of the Holy Bible. Want to know about fossils? Look at fossils through the Bible. The Bible tells us that all creatures were created in the first six days of creation. Start first with scripture, the known truth, and then interpret the evidence. You may think that is biased, but consider what evolution does. They take a fossil and start with the premise of evolution, then interpret the fossil in the context of millions of years.

Who are you going to believe? Creation is not a developing science, it is history. One that studies the Civil War is a historian, one that studies Greek or Roman Empire, historian. A person that examines ancient ruins is called an archaeologist. How is creation any different? The science of origins is not an ongoing repeatable science but rather a onetime historical event. Any scientific study that occurs now in the study of origins will only prove a preconceived notion since it cannot be repeated, and it was a historical event.


Who are you going to believe? It is an act of faith; you will either believe the Word of God or the word of fallible men. The Bible is firsthand testimony from the one who was there! You cannot dispute He who never lied. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth."

Do not mistake a belief in creation for eternal life. God makes it clear that man naturally can see that there is a Sovereign God, in His creation. Believing God exists will not save your soul. Some confirm God’s existence, believe in creation, yet reject the Saviour. Many will call Him Creator and many will call His the Son of God; but few will call Him Saviour.

Who are you going to believe? Your heart, or the Word of God? What the bible says is true, from front to back. The Creator demands for His creation to be Holy. Failure to keep His commandments is called sin. The wages of sin is death, eternal judgment in the Lake of Fire. The Bible also tells us that there is salvation in Jesus Christ. That God sent His only begotten Son into the world to be a sin sacrifice. Christ Jesus bore the sins of His people on the cross and gave himself for a ransom for sinners, shedding His blood as the sin offering. He died and after three days and three nights rose from the dead.

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, trust in His word on the cross and be saved.




__________________________________________________________


Douglas Newell IV

Melchis-who?

  

Melchisedec  is only mentioned twice in the Old Testament, in Genesis 14 and Psalm 110:4. Why does that matter to a Christian today?  The latter part of Hebrews 5 and all of chapter 6 is a rebuke, a warning, and an exhortation to press on in the Christian faith. Those professing Christ at this point, should have been teachers instead of kindergarten students. They should have had their doctorate, not learning their ABC’s. Their lack of knowledge and spiritual growth was directly tied to their lack of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of the Bible. What brought about this lengthy rebuke? They didn’t know about Melchisedec. How is a man mentioned twice the Old Testament that important? The Psalmist, says the Messiah will be a priest forever after Melchisedec’s order, God swears it. From Psalms, we know this man is connected, in some way, to Christ. But how?

Melchisedec means “king of peace”. He lived in Salem, which means peace. He was also a priest. But wait a second -- the priesthood came into effect in Exodus, not Genesis. Moses received the law, and that won’t happen for around another 400 years. The patriarchs of the family offered sacrifices during this time. Genesis 14 is the first time the word priest is used in the Bible. So how did he become a priest? Who was his family? Well, we don’t know. He just came on the scene and sort of disappears. He isn’t connected to Abraham or his family. 

When Melchisedec came to Abraham after the battle of the kings, he brought bread and wine and Abraham tithed the spoils of war to him. The tithe came before the law as we see Abraham tithed to God through a priest. But the law in the Old Testament says only the tribe of Levi could be priests, and the children of Israel tithed to them only.  Hebrews 7:7 the less is blessed by the better. Or, the higher office blesses those under him. The office of priesthood is higher than the rank of those they bless. So Melchisedec  was higher than Abraham, the father of Isaac, the Father of Jacob, the father of Levi and the priesthood.

You could only be a priest based upon your family tree. Israel tithed to the Levites, who had a higher office. But in the family tree of Abraham, Melchisedec is better than Levi, since the family tithed in Abraham. The very thing the priests were proud of, their family tree and their lineage, was evidence that the family tree was “lesser” to the line of Melchisedec. Jesus, is greater than the Levitical priest. He is the true king of righteousness, the true king of peace, taking the office of High Priest, not out of inheritance, but sworn by an oath by God the Father. A Priest in an everlasting line, one where no one can or will take his place. We have a sure salvation in Christ, who ever lives to make intercession for us.

Wimbledon and the Family

This is Peter Hitchens’ Mail on Sunday column:

"Nobody seems to have asked for it. No real reason was given for it. But female players at Wimbledon will no longer be referred to as 'Mrs' or 'Miss' by the umpires. It will just be bare, unadorned surnames. Why is this small thing so dispiriting? Because it is by a thousand such small things, imposed by faceless people, impossible to prevent, that our world is being changed beyond all recognition.

I will be told that it is trivial and that it does not matter. But if that is so, why did they bother to do it? Because it matters greatly to them, just as the incessant, relentless imposition of the metric system matters greatly to them. Oppose any of these things and you will be told that you are fussing about trivia.

But you didn't start it. They did. And see the expression that comes over their faces if you accuse them of obsessing over trifles. And that is why it should matter to you. These titles symbolise a great deal.

Wimbledon has done away with titles for women . Above all, they refer to the distinction, once enormously important but now more or less abolished, between those who were married and those who are not. The force behind this is the same force that caused the British State to seek out and destroy every possible mention of the words 'husband' and 'wife' from official forms and documents. You would have thought that this stately old practice might have been allowed to continue in picturesque, old-fashioned bits of biscuit-tin Britain such as Wimbledon, in so many ways a museum of pre-1939 middle-class suburbia. But no. The thing about totalitarians is that they have to control everything, that everything must be brought into line.Every last trace of the old regime must be discovered, erased, painted over, demolished or chiselled away.

 The process is still not quite complete. Marriage, that fortress of private life, has pretty much been destroyed in this country.It still has an official existence, but the authorities give it no privileges or help, and the law waits like a vulture to pounce on every united home, and impose a high-speed divorce at the first sign of trouble.The whole way in which we deal with each other has been transformed by this sort of change. The main beneficiary has been the all-powerful State, which now reaches into what were once our personal lives in ways that would have been quite shocking even in 1980. And the main sufferers, as always, are the abandoned, neglected, baffled, misled, miseducated children, so many thousands of them, with no secure place to turn to, just more freedom than they have ever been shown how to cope with."

Christians and the Commandments

What happens if a child of God sins? Since there is no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus, does that give us the freedom to sin? God forbid. There are consequences when God's children disobey His commandments. Here are a few.

1. Loss of fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
1 John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

2. Loss of assurance of salvation.
1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

1 John 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

3. Hinders prayer life
1 John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

4. Makes you a liar
1 John 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

5. Causes you to loose your joy.

John 15:10-11 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

I John 1:4-10

Romans 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

6. The chastisement of God.
Hebrews 12:5-11

7. Blinds you where you will eventually fall
II Peter 1:9-10

“The key to the mystery that the doctrine of redemption, although not demanding good works, produces them, is to be found in the fact that love excites love and the desire for holiness. Hence obedience is no longer slavish. We strive to obey, not in order to be saved or to please God, but because God saves us with out works or merit of our own, whom, because he is reconciled in the Beloved, we delight to serve.” Charles Hodge in his book Romans.

We are not under the law, in that we are justified by the law; there is no hope in the law, there is not comfort in the law, there is no mercy in the law. It is black and white either guilty or not guilty. When God gave the law to Israel, they were terrified (Hebrews 12:18-22) because they were guilty.

But, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ, we have been justified before God but that doesn't free us from our moral obligations to live and follow Christ.

James Boyce says in Abstract of Systematic Theology

It will be seen, from the preceding statements, that the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints does not deny that Christians are liable to sin, not that they do sin, nor that they do turn away from God, and backslide from their Christian profession, and even fall into grievous wrong, by which they displease God, and lose confidence and hope in him, and become barren and unfruitful in good works: nor does it deny that final apostasy would be possible to the Christian if he were left to the exercise of his own will, subject, as he would be, not only to the natural fallibility of a creature, but to the still continuing lusts of his flesh, and tempted not only by these, but by the attractions of the world, and the malice of Satan. But it asserts, that it is the purpose of God that none shall finally be lost who have been given to Christ by the Father, and have been by faith vitally united with him, and justified through him; and that, for the fulfillment of this purpose, the power of God is sufficient to keep them unto final salvation, and the love of Christ is so invincible, in his forbearance, mercy, and grace, that nothing can separate them from it. It also teaches, that they are not saved while indulging in sin, and walking after their own lusts; but that they are sanctified through the work of the Holy Spirit, which enables them to persevere in the divine life in co-operation with his influences, that their life and salvation is not a mere gift without effort on their part, but a growth through perseverance unto the end in the use of the appointed means.

A Vision for Interpretation

"A church without a vision is a church that will never grow." I've seen that statement and many like it for years. “Vision” is a mystical way of talking about a plan for the future. It sounds more spiritual to have a "vision" than it does to have a "plan".  It's good to have a plan, but the church should be driven by the mission of God rather than the vision of a man. But, what about Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish," doesn't that show you must have a vision? If there is no plan for the future, if there isn't a vision caster at the helm, we're all going to die! That is a dreadful proposition, unless, of course, this verse means something else.

According to the dictionary, the word vision has three definitions: 1) the power of sight; 2) something seen in a dream or revelation; 3) the power of imagination, i.e., foresight. The Hebrew word translated vision correlates with our second definition, Divine revelation. I don't like to hear people always "correcting" their Bible. They see a verse like this, go to Strong's Concordance, look at Mr. Strong's definition of a Hebrew word and say their Bible is mistranslated because vision doesn't mean planning prudence, in the Bible! Words can have more than one definition. Instead of correcting the Bible and saying a word is mistranslated, look up the word in the dictionary – you may misunderstand the meaning of the word. It's always better to question your own vocabulary than to question the Bible and pronounce it wrong.

Despite the smart set declaring the Bible has been mistranslated, it appears those who misapply this Scripture, do so because they didn’t take time to understand the English word. Besides, we can know what the word means by the context, and by knowing the rest of the Bible. The Hebrew word translated vision is found 34 times in the Old Testament. In each instance, it refers to God’s revelation, or false prophets not having God’s revelation. Three books of the Bible are called "visions" (Isaiah, Obadiah, Nahum). Never is the word used in the sense of a man’s plan for the future. If a vision is God's Word, it must be followed - no questions asked. Indeed, it is sin NOT to follow God's Word and believe God's vision. But, a man's "vision" for the church is not infallible. It is not God's revelation. It may be a good plan. And if he's a good pastor, it is probably a wise plan and you should seriously consider what your pastor thinks. But it's not a sin to disagree with another man. If I say what I want is God's word, I took God’s name in vain by claiming God’s authority for my desires and plans. The context of Proverbs 29:18 proves this to be true. "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." The first half and second half of the verse parallel each other. Vision parallels law. Perishing contrasts with happy people. No word from God equals death. Keeping the law equals happiness. 

We have a vision, a revelation from God. It's important that we understand what God is telling us. It takes time and diligence to make sure we understand what God is telling us, but it is well worth the effort.

Elect Lady

2 John 1, "The elder unto the elect lady and her children…" There are many different theories about who (or what) this “elect lady” is. Some say she is a metaphor for the church, chosen of God. Since the church is the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25,32; 2 Corinthians 11:2), some say John used the imagery of a chosen woman as a metaphor for the Lord’s church. Others believe, since the meaning of Bible names often have significance, the Greek word translated lady in our Bibles was actually her name, Cyria, while others say her name was Electos (elect). I believe John wrote to a particular woman, and addressed her as “the elect lady” just as it’s written. It's always best to believe what the Bible says. There are many different theories and they can’t all be right. However, this truth is not such a weighty matter that we need to fight and argue about it. Truth is important – all truth is important. But some truths have a greater weight than others (Matthew 23:23).

Truth matters. You might say, "What's the big deal, what you believe about who this lady is?" It's very possible for two people to be wrong about the elect lady and still apply the text of 2 John the same way. But there are potential consequences for misinterpreting this passage. Once you begin to allegorize parts of Scripture, without Biblical cause, where does it end? If the "elect lady" is a church, then is the "house" in verse 10 a house? If not, what does the house represent and why? What about the "paper and ink" in verse 12? What does that represent? If the lady is not a lady, but a metaphor, how do I know if ink is ink? Good Biblical interpretation takes the passage literally unless there is Biblical justification to do otherwise. So it may not be a big deal, who this lady is in the grand scheme of things, but how you get to what you believe could have ramifications. Little foxes spoil the vine.

If the letter was written to a church, and not an individual, the letter takes on a completely different tone. The aged John writes to a  woman, whose husband, for whatever reason, is out of the picture. She continues to preserve, along with her children, following her Lord and Saviour. John warns her of men, who prey up on widowed women and their kind hospitality, to introduce damnable heresy. If the letter was written to a church, the letter gets less specific, and the application of verse 10 to "receive [false teachers] not into your house, neither bid him God speed," becomes unclear. Also, just read the letter, substituting "Lady" with a woman's name, Samantha, for example. It's clear and understandable. You can see John writing a letter to his dear friend in Christ. Now, substitute 'Lady" with Buffalo Valley Baptist Church. Not only does it seem a little clunky, but it raises questions about being "children" of the church and what that even means, and why the children where away from the assembly. And, since not all of her children were walking in truth, why was John not concerned with church discipline? A big part of the letter becomes unclear. 

Truth matters. And while some truth may be weightier than others as Jesus said, He did not mean to say some truths are not important. He condemned the Pharisees for being so scrupulous about tithing, but neglecting the "weightier matters of the law." Their problem was not paying attention to small things, but neglecting the big things.  

Objective Truth

John's second letter is quick and to the point and that point is truth. Just a little over 300 words, the word truth is found 5 times in the first 3 sentences. Adding the times John talks about doctrine or the commandments of God, we can see John's heart for truth. He writes about knowing the truth, and walking in the truth, but he says we need to live by the truth and disassociate ourselves with those who deny the truth.  With such particular and life-altering applications (John himself was exiled for truth) we can straightway see that truth must be definable and it must be objective.

In times past, many would say truth about God is ultimately unknowable. Now, many people think they have their own truth. Who's to say I’m right and your wrong? Quite frankly, the definable and objective truth is who tells us we are wrong. Truth isn’t defined by your feelings. Truth isn’t defined by your heart. Webster’s Dictionary says truth is, “the body of real things, events, and facts; the state of being the case.” Some things we all still agree is truth. Water is wet and 100 is more than 99. But I wouldn’t be surprised if even mathematical axioms will begin to be called into question, especially if I can be called a bigot for daring to say gender is objectively definable. Objective truth,  means truth is not influenced by feelings, just the facts. In a world that denies objective truth, our feelings become the final arbiter. A rational, logical human being, when confronted with facts that are contrary to the way we feel or think, should, at the very least, pause and consider why new information is contrary to the way we feel. Instead, we get emotional and call people bigots, haters, and try to silence their voice.

Even in the realm of spiritual things, you don’t get to decide what is truth. There are a lot of religious assemblies who meet to worship every Sunday. Sadly, not every organization preaches the same gospel. We can’t all be walking in the truth if we disagree. If you have two contrary gospels, they can’t both be right. It matter very little how many people believe a particular doctrine, or how passionately someone believes it. The only thing that matters is, “is it true?” As a Christian, the truth is not found within me, it’s found outside of me, in the Bible. The truth isn’t in a mystical feeling, because my feelings might be different than yours, and if so, who is right? Truth, very often, is contrary to my feelings and contrary to what I feel is the right thing. The truth is revealed to us by God,  in the 66 books of the Bible, by rightly dividing that word of truth. The Bible has a meaning and to know truth, we must know what the Bible actually says and means; living with  joy  and confidence in the certainty of objective truth.

Happy Father's Day

I ran across this while looking up the words to a Watts hymn.

"When teenager Isaac Watts complained to his father about the monotonous way Christians in England sang the Old Testament Psalms, his father, a leading deacon, snapped back, 'All right young man, you give us something better.'

To Isaac Watts, the singing of God's praise was the form of worship nearest to Heaven and he went on to argue: 'It's performance among us is the worst on earth.' Young Isaac accepted his father's challenge and eventually wrote a total of more than 600 hymns, earning him the title 'The father of English hymnody.'

Even as a child Isaac had shown a passion for poetry, rhyming and such mundane things as everyday conversation. 

His serious-minded father, after several warnings, decided to spank the rhyming nonsense out of his son. But the tearful Isaac helplessly replied,

'Oh father do some pity take,
and I will no more verses make.'

Historical Context

The Bible is a spiritual, supernatural, and living book. It is the inerrant, infallible, sufficient Word of God. But the Bible didn't float down from Heaven in a mystical scroll. God used men as the instruments to pen the words of God. Moved by the Holy Spirit, men wrote the very words of God. Our Lord didn't give the writers an idea and let them interpret it the best they could. God didn't give them themes, and then they filled in the pages with their own thoughts.

God used men, but also used men in history, in certain situations, with their unique frames, to give us the words He wanted us to know, in the way He wanted us to know it. Amos was a farmer-prophet who God sent to the "Big City" to preach to the rich aristocrats. We know this from the text of Amos, when he gives us a little biography of himself.  When we read Amos 4:1, where her said, "Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan," we can get a flavor for what was going on. This rough around the edges farmer, goes to the rich women in Jerusalem and calls them a bunch of fat cows. Coarse? Absolutely. I can't imagine Daniel or the Apostle John saying such things. And that's the point. Amos is the instrument God used to deliver His word. Amos' life, upbringing, education, and language was exactly tuned to give the certain sound God ordained for this prophesy. Sometimes, the word needed a violin. Sometimes it needed a claw-hammer banjo. God tuned and used men as the instruments, which tuned and flavored the text, just as God wanted.

Historical context is important too. We use caution, of course, because we all know history belongs to the victors, so man's history is flavored by whose writing it. A history of 1776 may read differently from a British author than an American. History revealed in Scripture is there for a reason. Take Hebrews 4:3-8, for example. The main point of this passage is to show there remains a rest for the people of God, so we need to believe in the gospel, and not be like Israel, who because of unbelief, died in the wilderness. God promised Israel rest in the promised land, and some did not enter because of unbelief. God rested on the 7th day, but that rest, even though foundational for the Sabbath day, was God's rest, not man's. Then he tells us David wrote in Psalm 95, inspired of God (Hebrews 3:7), the word "Today".  Why is that important? The rest that remains can't be the 7th day of creation, because God rested on the 7th day from HIS work. It can't be the rest promised to  Israel entering into the Promised Land because David wrote, "today" talking about our rest, long after Joshua died. Since David lived after Joshua and wrote, "today", the author of Hebrews proves there remains a rest for the people of God today.

Consider the Oyster

"I heard one say the other day that a certain preacher had no more gifts for the ministry than an oyster, and in my own judgment this was a slander on the oyster, for that worthy bivalve shows great discretion in his openings, and knows when to close."

Charles H Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students

God’s Plan is Better

Philippians 1:12-13 “…the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;

Life can change in a hurry. Rarely does life go like we wanted. I know my life is nothing like I thought it would turn out. Husbands and wives have plans and circumstances suddenly and unexpectedly change the whole direction of their life forever. What are we to do? How are we to respond? The right answer is to rejoice. Rejoice, if you are in the Lord Jesus Christ, saved and forgive, because God’s plan is better than your plan. It might not be what you wanted, and it might not be the easiest, but know it is better in God’s plan. “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” All things, even those bringing us pain and suffering, work together for good.

Paul, the man who wrote these words wasn’t a self-help guru, living his best life. He was a prisoner, not knowing if he would ever be set free. Not many boys grow up dreaming to die a prisoner, but Paul looked the spiritual reality of his life (Philippians 1:12). “The things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel”. What a blessed way to look at a terrible situation. Rather despondent because he sat in bonds for preaching Christ, he realized his imprisonment meant the gospel would progress. The church worried his ministry would end, but his persecution had furthered the gospel. Paul’s desired to spread the gospel in Rome. God’s plan? Lock Paul up. Now we can understand how the Philippians thought prison wasn’t the best place for a missionary. It would have been easy for this to become a bitter providence, but God’s plans are always better than ours.

According to secular history, Paul probably had to rent house for his confinement, continually chained to Roman soldiers. No privacy. No time alone for prayer and meditation. His unwanted circumstance provided unique ministry opportunities. While Paul taught Christians who visited him, he also had another captive audience listening in. How was Christ “manifest” in all the palace if Paul was locked up? The guards. Every shift, they had to listen to Paul pray, preach, teach about Jesus. The guards couldn’t leave and Paul couldn’t stop preaching. They heard about Jesus all day long, and by God’s grace, were converted. These guards filled with the Spirit, were able to carry the gospel places Paul would have never been able to go. Paul was not chained to the guard; the guards were chained to Paul.

Are you chained to a desk? A chair? A hospital bed? Be like Paul. God has you where you are so rejoice and serve him where you are. You may have access to people no preacher ever will. Paul’s imprisonment had some unintended consequences. God ordained the gospel to spread in ways no one would have considered. Not only were Paul’s prison guards saved and spreading the gospel, but his confinement motivated others to get to work.

Paul’s trail planted the seeds that grew a backbone in other men. Philippians 1:14, “And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much bolder to speak the word without fear.” Men had to step up with Paul locked up because now, someone had to do it. Great basketball players can sometimes make a team worse. Because of their great ability, average players continually defer to the star instead of being aggressive. Sometimes they stop to watch their MVP do great things. With Paul on the bench, these men could longer stand aside and defer to the great Apostle to spread the Word. Necessity is the great motivator. Few Dad’s work their dream job but labor in whatever job can provide for their family. Toss “personal fulfillment” out the window when you’ve got hungry kids.

The dedication and commitment, that landed Paul in chains, stirred up these other men to follow him with boldness. Perhaps they were shamed at their own walk or inspired by his. Sometimes it just takes one to stand. I’ve been in situations where a whole group of people wanted to do something, but everyone was afraid to speak. The whole group just sat there and stared at each other, waiting for someone else to do what they wanted to do but were afraid to start. Finally, when one stuck their neck out, and they all saw it didn’t get chopped off, others said “Yes, that’s right, I agree!” It took one to stand. When Paul was thrown in jail, the men of other churches saw and said “Paul is right, and I will not fear what Man can do to me!” Don’t let the fear of man stop us from our duty. Paul’s pain planted the seed of blessing for others.

Philippians 1:15, “Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife…” Paul’s trial also stirred another group of Paul’s fellow preachers. They indeed preached Christ and really preached the truth, but they were jealous and envious of Paul. They were jealous of Paul’s position, resentful of Paul’s preaching, and envious of Paul’s authority. They competed against Paul on their way to “the top” which in reality, was a race to the back of the line (Matthew 20:16). This happens all the time. Power struggles in churches or between pastors of other churches of like faith, all trying to be the top dog. With Paul sidelined, now was the perfect opportunity to make a play to be the next big preacher. Out of strife and jealousy, they preached even more to move up in position. Remember, God knows your motives. Praise God the gospel is preached, but what a shame to serve in the truth to make your own name great.

Let’s be honest, shall we? There are some charlatans who pick up a Bible and preach. Some less than stellar individuals stand behind a pulpit every Sunday and preach the gospel for many reasons other than Christ’s glory. However, as Paul said in Philippians 1:15, there are “some also of good will.” Some who preach because they love the Lord. Their desire is Christ exalted and his gospel proclaimed. Philippians 1:16-17 says, “The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel.” Some men preach the truth out of spite, believe it or not, and only preached because Paul wanted to and couldn’t and they wanted to rub it in his face. They wanted to tear Paul down to build themselves up. Others saw the standard bearer fall, and couldn’t let the colors hit the ground, and picked up the flag and carried on the fight for the glory of their King. Some preach for fame. Some for fortune. But that doesn’t mean everyone does. Just because you had a bad experience with one pastor or church doesn’t mean all pastors and churches are wicked.

Philippians 1:18, “What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.” Paul doesn’t rejoice at the preaching of error. Paul didn’t put up with heresy for even an hour (Galatians 2:5). This verse doesn’t address what they were saying, but why they said it. They preached a holy message with wicked motives. Hypocrites who were thoroughly orthodox and really bad guys. Men who were right in doctrine but deceitful in heart. They were correct in theology but with wrong motives. Paul’ main concern was not his own feelings but Christ’s glory. If men preached the truth just to hurt him, or to get a big following, they could go right ahead. They can preach to get amens at his expense, if that floats their boat, as long as Christ the Lord is preached in truth.

I love the Baptist church. I try and pray never to compromise on Baptist distinctives. Anything worth believing is worth fighting for, and that includes church truth. However, I rejoice whenever people are saved, and Christ is preached.

The circumstance is not suited for Paul to rejoice, but he does because he rejoices in the Lord. Paul saw the big picture and what he wanted most was for sinners to trust in Jesus and His name proclaimed – and that was happening. Not the way he would have planned it or not the way he wanted it, but it was the way God planned it and God’s ways are the best ways. Every. Single. Time.

Are you going through a difficulty? Has God’s providence proved to be a confusing disappointment? Have you considered God’s ways are better than your ways? Have you applied gospel principles to your life?

AA Hodge on Public Education

"I am as sure as I am of Christ's reign that a comprehensive and centralized system of national education, separated from religion, as is now commonly proposed, will prove the most appalling enginery for the propagation of anti-Christian and atheistic unbelief, and of anti-social nihilistic ethics, individual, social and political, which this sin-rent world has ever seen."

Archibald Alexander Hodge, principal of Princeton Seminary between 1878 and 1886.






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A Pleasant Surprise

"That of course is the advantage of being a pessimist; a pessimist gets nothing but pleasant surprises, an optimist nothing but unpleasant."

Rex Stout, Fer-de-Lance

On the death of your mother

To MR. JAMES ELPHINSTON - September 25, 1750.

'DEAR SIR, You have, as I find by every kind of evidence, lost an excellent mother; and I hope you will not think me incapable of partaking of your grief. I have a mother, now eighty-two years of age, whom, therefore, I must soon lose, unless it please GOD that she rather should mourn for me. I read the letters in which you relate your mother's death to Mrs. Strahan, and think I do myself honour, when I tell you that I read them with tears; but tears are neither to YOU nor to ME of any further use, when once the tribute of nature has been paid. The business of life summons us away from useless grief, and calls us to the exercise of those virtues of which we are lamenting our deprivation. The greatest benefit which one friend can confer upon another, is to guard, and excite, and elevate his virtues. This your mother will still perform, if you diligently preserve the memory of her life, and of her death: a life, so far as I can learn, useful, wise, and innocent; and a death resigned, peaceful, and holy. I cannot forbear to mention, that neither reason nor revelation denies you to hope, that you may increase her happiness by obeying her precepts; and that she may, in her present state, look with pleasure upon every act of virtue to which her instructions or example have contributed. Whether this be more than a pleasing dream, or a just opinion of separate spirits, is, indeed, of no great importance to us, when we consider ourselves as acting under the eye of GOD: yet, surely, there is something pleasing in the belief, that our separation from those whom we love is merely corporeal; and it may be a great incitement to virtuous friendship, if it can be made probable, that that union that has received the divine approbation shall continue to eternity.

'There is one expedient by which you may, in some degree, continue her presence. If you write down minutely what you remember of her from your earliest years, you will read it with great pleasure, and receive from it many hints of soothing recollection, when time shall remove her yet farther from you, and your grief shall be matured to veneration. To this, however painful for the present, I cannot but advise you, as to a source of comfort and satisfaction in the time to come; for all comfort and all satisfaction is sincerely wished you by, dear Sir, your most obliged, most obedient, and most humble servant,


'SAM. JOHNSON.'


The Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell







DPN

Of Mice and Testimonies

B.H. Carroll tells of a man who had a wonderful Christian experience that...

"when he joined the church [his particular experience] evoked unusual praise from the pastor and the church. So much was said about it that he, himself, began to glory in it. He carefully wrote it out and would read it to every visitor. He became so complacent over it that he stopped right there - no progress - a cause of arrested development. In the lapse of time the mice got int the drawer where he kept his precious document and ate up his Christian experience! We need and experience that rats cannot eat up - an experience not folded up and put in a drawer, but one that moves forward taking the steps of the faith of Abraham."

Every Wise Woman Builds

The Bible says every single wise woman is a builder. Proverbs 14:1, “Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.” She doesn’t lay the foundation, build the frame, and do the roofing. But she does build up the home in an equally important way, making  it her mission to build, keep, and maintain the wellbeing of her home. She uses the gifts God gives her to build and preserve a godly home, being faithful to her calling.

Every wise woman builds her home with wisdom and knowledge (Proverbs 24:3-4). She thinks about what kind of home she wants. She knows the strengths, weakness, and the heart of those who live in her care and labors to build up and strengthen her family. Every wise woman builds her home with pleasantness (Proverbs 24:3-4) and makes it a place where her family wants to be.  A home with godly peace and pleasantness is a treasure, much to be desired. Every wise woman builds her home with love because she loves God and loves those God gave her. Every wise woman goes outside of herself for wisdom to build her house. And no, I’m not talking about Pinterest, but the Bible. She won’t find recipes, suggestions for paint schemes and home décor, but she will find everything she needs to know about herself, her husband, her children, and how she can build a stable homelife for her family. It’s better to live in a house built by love than to live in a picture perfect, modern home, sitting around a feast with a perfectly dressed and mannered family (Proverbs 15:17).

The foolish woman, however, doesn’t build, but tears down her home. She will leave it rubble. She’s a one-woman demolition crew of her own home and one day will look up from the ash heap and wonder, “what happened?” The foolish woman doesn’t want to bring her house to ruins, but it’s inevitable. Foolishness never builds a strong family. She tears down her own house with selfishness. When she puts herself first and her family is always last, she will destroy her home. This is the principle for any relationship. Any leader who puts themselves first will have control and get what they want in the short term but destroys the foundations in the long-term. Where the foolish woman lives for today, the wise thinks toward the future. The foolish woman tears down with anger (Proverbs 21:9). An angry home is an empty home. She tears down her own house with contentions (Proverbs 19:13). A small leak in the roof over time with a continual drip will bring a home to ruin. The constant and continual quarrelsomeness of the foolish woman slowly tears her home apart.

Like anything worth building, it takes hard work, planning, dedication, and a commitment to see it through. A home isn’t built in a day. Thank you, wise wives and mothers for all you do.  

Not Ashamed

2 Timothy 1:8-12 “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord…” The Tolerance Police stand ready to keep people in line. Think differently than the commonly accepted line of "truth" and you'll soon hear a version of their battle cry. To some, more intimidating than the "Rebel Yell" or an Apache war cry,  the phrase “You ought to be ashamed!”  sends grown men whimpering off to the corner mumbling to themselves. Should it?

Shame is the feeling of judgment when we are guilty of a transgression, or embarrassed by one of our characteristics, or embarrassed by our associations.  Shame or feeling ashamed can be both a good or bad thing – it all depends on why you are ashamed. If we’ve done wrong, shame leads us to seek forgiveness. Having no shame means you never feel the weight of your guilt. However, it’s just as bad to feel ashamed when you shouldn’t. The feeling of shame comes from our conscience but sometimes our conscience is out of tune with the truth.

Amazingly, Timothy was ashamed of Jesus. Many Christians are also ashamed of Jesus. Timothy was ashamed of the Lord’s testimony and embarrassed by the gospel, the testimony that Jesus died on a cross for his sins. Timothy was embarrassed to be associated with Paul, the persecutor turned prisoner, the fanatical preacher of the gospel of Jesus.

Jesus did nothing wrong, ever and had nothing to be ashamed of. But in the court of public opinion, Jesus is guilty of breaking with the world. Put to death on a Roman cross, the world judged Jesus and condemns him. Because the carnal heart is enmity against God, the world always will think poorly and judge harshly the Lamb of God. The cross is a stumbling block for the Jews and foolish to the Gentiles. He is guilty and condemned in the eyes of the world. Anyone who associates with Christ, shares His beliefs and moral characteristics, and trusts in His name is guilty by association in the world system. Timothy felt shame because he feared the judgment of the world more than the judgment of God. He elevated the opinion of nonbelievers higher than the opinion of His Lord. He didn't want the world to hate him.

Paul was not ashamed (2 Timothy 1:12). He boldly proclaimed the gospel of Christ despite the condemnation. Jesus saved us, called us with a holy calling by his grace, ordained before the world began. Jesus Christ our Lord, abolished death and through his death burial and resurrection gives eternal life and by faith in Christ, we are saved. Paul is a preacher of such glorious good news and he isn’t ashamed because he knows Jesus. People will condemn him. People will tell him “he ought to be ashamed” but he’s not ashamed, because those judges are wrong. He knows his soul is safe in the Lord Jesus and so his is not ashamed now and won’t be ashamed in the last day.

A Hard Won War

Proverbs 18:19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.

The longest known siege in history started in 1648 on the small Mediterranean island of Crete. During the Ottoman-Venetian wars, the Ottoman Empire besieged the city Candia, Crete's capital. The fight to take the city lasted 21 years. It all started when a Catholic organization known as “The Knights of the Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem" looted an Ottoman ship carrying treasure to Constantinople. The Ottoman forces attacked in kind and took over the island, all except the capital. But the city was well fortified and protected, and for the next two decades, countless lives and fortunes were lost in the battle until Candia finally succumbed to the never-ending onslaught.

A hard-won battle taking down a fortified city designed to resist attack is the image Solomon has in mind describing the attempt at repairing a busted relationship with a brother. Whether in families or in churches, brothers in the flesh or brothers in Christ, when we are hurt by the wrongdoing of brother, it’s going to leave a mark much deeper than if it were an enemy.

Why? Well, it doesn't take much effort to get the relationship of an acquaintance back to the normal. You aren't that close anyway, so you don't have far to fall, or don't have to far to travel back. But, with a brother, it's different. We love and trust our brothers. We don’t expect the betrayal. When brothers have bonded in struggles, fights, blood, sweat, and tears, there is a bond that develops that is like no other. So when that love is betrayed it shakes us to the core.  We expect our brothers to have our back, not stab us in it. We expect our brothers to walk with us. Why is it sometimes easier to let things slide with an acquaintance than a brother? We show more leniency toward an acquaintance because we are either trying to win them to our side, or don’t expect as much from them. That’s also why we are harder on our friends and brothers than we are those outside the camp.  A brother’s sin is a betrayal of both the relationship both people have devoted so much to and the big part of our life we share with them.

You need to guard your relationship. A small matter can cause irreparable harm, and once the offence has been committed, it’s very difficult to win them back. Because the bond is close, it’s very easy to take advantage of a brotherly bond. Once the brotherhood is broken, it takes great effort and struggle to make it right again. I’ve known brethren at odds a lot longer than Ottoman-Venetian conflict. Though it is possible to win him back, it would be better not to sin against him in the first place or when we sin, quickly ask for forgiveness.

Even so, Come Lord Jesus

“He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus,” Revelation 22:20.  When we say we believe something or have faith in a teaching, how does our belief affect our life?  Believing in something should cause an outworking of that doctrine.  Some have intellectual beliefs about the Bible, but little or no faith in those same beliefs because they have no fruit in their life.  If you believed your house was on fire, you probably wouldn’t sit down with a cup of coffee and discuss the philosophical implications of light, heat, and flame. No, you would grab your family and get out of the house. If you truly believe the Bible, you are going to act like you believe the Bible.

One very common theme in God’s Word, for believers is the soon coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, one of the great hopes of the Christian. We, as it says in Titus 2:13, are, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”  Not a “I hope it happens” but a faith knowing it is going transpire. If you believe the Bible, you confess Jesus is coming again. How does the return of Christ affect your life?

The apostle John was captured and put into exile on the isle of Patmos, banished for preaching the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.  He was persecuted and afflicted for righteousness sake and banished to a rocky island, barren, desolate, and void of anything making Patmos a desirable locale.  Not exactly an island paradise. The apostle was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day and received the revelation of Jesus Christ concerning the end times. John had little reason for hope.  Exiled, hated, persecuted, aged, afflicted; he dedicated his best years to preaching the gospel and teaching the saints only to end it in exile.  But John had hope. Not in changing the government to like Christians. John had no hope of living a normal, peaceable life, but his hope was in Jesus Christ.  John wasn’t wishing to die, but he wanted Christ to come back and get him, and his eschatology (the study of the last days) impacted his whole outlook on life.

Do you take comfort in the return of Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:17-18)? Do you desire the return of Christ?  When is the last time you meditated on the soon coming of Jesus Christ, let alone desire it? Can you say, “even so, come Lord Jesus,” and mean it? There is a crown of righteousness in Heaven, waiting for all God’s people who love his appearing (2 Timothy 4:8). Is there a crown waiting for you? Do you live like Jesus may return today? Or, have the cares and concerns of this life taken over your heart and affections? “Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not,” Luke 12:40.

A Better 3G

I worked for AT&T Wireless back when internet on your cell phone just started to be a big deal. Everyone wanted the new and faster 3G (3rd generation) technology. As the technology improved, internet speeds got faster. Now, however, when you see 3G, you may get frustrated because it means download speeds are roughly 10 times slower than 4G. Verizon is rolling out their 5G and it is supposedly 20 times faster than 4G. But I have a 3G you can get excited about again. It’s based on a 16th century Heidelberg Catechism written in a place called the Electorate of the Palatinate (modern day Germany) in the city of Heidelberg. I prefer  the “immersed” version Baptist preacher, Hercules Collins revised called the Orthodox Catechism. 

The answers to the first two questions provide an outline for the whole catechism. “What is your only comfort in life and in death” and, “what must you know to live and die in the joy of this comfort?” Answer: “First, how great my sins and misery are; second, how I am delivered from all my sins and misery; third, how I am to be thankful to God for such deliverance.” This is also an outline of the book of Romans, and where we get the better 3G’s.

Guilt. “You must know how great your sin truly is.” In the first 3 ½ chapters of the book of Romans, Paul proves, “all have sinned”. We are guilty before God and have no hope of being justified before the law. Doesn’t sound very hopeful, especially when we want to know the answer to question one, “what is your only comfort in life and death?” That leads us to the second G.

Grace. ”You must know how you are set free from you sin and misery.” Starting at the end of chapter three, through chapter 11, Paul instructs us on the grace of God. We cannot be saved by the law since in only condemns us, but we are saved by Grace. Jesus Christ, the second Adam, died for our sins as the perfect sin sacrifice, the just and justifier. He took the sins of his people, paid their debt, and graciously, imputes His righteousness to our account. Not by our works of righteousness, but by grace and His righteousness. Which leads us to the third G.

Gratitude. “You must know how you are to thank God for your deliverance.” Must we keep the law to be saved? Of course not, but how can a person be saved from their wicked, Hell deserving sins, rescued from an eternity in the Lake of Fire and given eternal life not be grateful and live a life of “reasonable service”? We do not keep the law  to be saved, but a child of God, with a heart of gratitude, lives a life that is pleasing to God, giving our bodies as a living sacrifice, out of love for God saving us.

Next time your phone is slow, and you’ve got the dreaded 3G, praise God, and think of your guilt, His grace, and your gratitude.

Fausset on Leaven

"A lump of old dough in high fermentation. As making it and leavening bread with it took time, unleavened bread was used in sudden emergencies (Gen_18:6; Gen_19:3). It was forbidden in all offerings to the Lord by fire (Lev_2:11; Lev_7:12). The Israelites on pain of death were to have none in their houses or in the land during Passover for seven days, from 14th Nisan (Exo_12:15; Exo_12:19; Exo_12:39; Exo_13:7; Exo_23:18; Deu_16:3-4). Salt was its opposite, and was never to be absent from the altar burnt offering, representing the incorruptible imperishableness of Jehovah's covenant. Honey as liable to ferment also was excluded from the altar burnt offerings. Leaven reminded Israel of the haste with which they fled from Egypt, and of their sufferings, which answer to the insipidity of unleavened bread, "the bread of affliction."

Its prominent symbolical meaning was, it is bred of corruption and corrupts the mass with which it is mixed. Hence it represents "malice" (the evil habit) and "wickedness" (evil coming out in word and deed) as opposed to "sincerity" and "truth" (1Co_5:7). The Jews searched with extreme care their houses, to purge out every particle of leaven. So Christians ought to search their hearts and purge out every corruption (Psa_139:23-24). It also symbolizes corrupt doctrine (Mat_16:6). Another quality is its secretly penetrating and diffusive influence: 1Co_5:6, "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump," the influence of one sinner corrupts many (Ecc_9:18); but in Gal_5:9 a little legalism mixed with the gospel corrupts its purity. Though elsewhere used in a bad sense, leaven in Mat_13:33 represents the gospel principle working silently "without observation" from within, until the whole is leavened, just as the mustard tree represents its diffusion externally; so "flesh," though usually in a bad sense, in Eze_11:19 is in a good sense.

The decomposition of social elements, accompanying and providentially preparing the way for the gospel, makes the image appropriate. Leaven was allowed to be offered in the firstfruits and tithes (Deu_26:2; Deu_26:12; 2Ch_31:5), the Pentecostal loaves (Lev_23:15; Lev_23:17), and the peace offering (Lev_7:13). See Lev_2:11 "as an oblation of firstfruits ye shall offer them (leaven and honey) unto the Lord, but they shall not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savour." In Amo_4:5 the leavened bread was "with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of the peace offerings," not with burnt offerings of animals on the altar. Perhaps however the command is ironical, "offer by burning (margin) a sacrifice ... with leaven" (which was forbidden), your very offerings being open insults to God."

Fausset's Bible Dictionary
by Andrew Robert Fausset

AW Pink on Receiving Christ

"The first thing for me, as a poor lost sinner, to make sure of is, Am I relying upon what Christ did for sinners? Am I personally trusting in His shed blood?

If I am not, if instead, under the eloquence and moving appeals of some evangelist, I have decided to turn over a new leaf, and endeavor to live a better life, and I have "gone forward" and taken the preacher’s hand, and if he has told me that I am now saved and ready to "join the church," and doing so I feel happy and contented—my peace is a false one, and I shall end in the Lake of Fire, unless God in His grace disillusions me.

On the other hand, if the Holy Spirit has shown me my lost condition, my deep need of the Savior, and if I have cast myself upon Christ as a drowning man clutches at a floating spar; if I have really believed on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31), and received Him as my own personal Savior (John 1:12), and yet, nevertheless, I am still lacking in assurance of my acceptance by God, and have no settled peace of heart; it is because I am failing to rest in simple faith on the written Word. GOD SAYS, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved". That is enough. That is the Word of Him who cannot lie. Nothing more is needed. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24).

Never mind about your feelings; do not stop to examine your repentance to see if it be deep enough. It is CHRIST that saves; not your tears, or prayers, or resolutions. If you have received Christ, then you are saved. Saved now, saved forever.—"For by one offering He hath perfected forever them that are set apart" (Heb. 10:14).

In the same way that the firstborn Israelite could know that he was secure from the avenging Angel—by the Word of God. "When I see the blood I will pass over you". God is saying the same to-day. If you are under the blood, then you are eternally secure. Neither the Law, nor the Devil, can harm you. "It is God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth?" (Rom. 8:33, 34).

Receive Christ for salvation. Rest on God’s Word for assurance and peace!

It is faith in God’s promise which brings assurance. For salvation, faith is simply the hand that receives the gift. For assurance, faith is "setting to our seal that God is true" (John 3:33). And this is simply receiving "His testimony". In this paper we have only sought to develop that which is central and vital in connection with our salvation and peace."

Pink, Arthur W.. Gleanings in Exodus 

Spirit of Fear- Tuesday with (2nd) Timothy #6

2 Timothy 1:5-7 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. 6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

One of the great spiritual weapons used against the child of God is fear. We are to fear (reverence, worship) the Lord, but are not to be fearful, cowardly, or timid, which is a great sin. "But the fearful...shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death," Revelation 21:8.  Fear is a powerful tool to manipulate people to act against their consciences or to cower from doing right. Paul encouraged Timothy not to cringe in the face of potential persecution, but to boldly serve God and declare the gospel. Fear keeps preachers from preaching the whole counsel of God. Fear keeps Christians from witnessing at work. Fear keeps men from opposing false doctrine and fear of trouble keeps men from doing what they believe to be right. Fear keeps pastors from stepping on the wrong toes and try to make everyone happy in the pews, especially those with power. Fear makes a preacher skip the application of a message and say, "It's not my job to apply Scripture, that's the Holy Spirit's job." A young man was called to pastor a church in Kentucky, and his first sermon he preached against drunkenness. The deacon came up to him afterword and said, "I know you are new here, but there are quite a few men who work at the distillery, so you shouldn't preach on drunkenness." The next week, he preached on truth telling, and against liars. The deacon said, "About that sermon – we have a few politicians in the church, and they took exception to that sermon." Frustrated, the young preacher said, "Well then, what CAN I preach about!” The deacon thought for a moment and said, "You can preach against the Mormons. I doubt there is a Mormon within 500 miles of here."

To encourage boldness, Paul told Timothy to remember his heritage (2 Timothy 1:5-7). Remember God's good providence in blessing Timothy with a mother and grandmother who loved him enough to read and teach him the Bible. It can be a good tool for spiritual boldness to recall how the Lord saved you, and even what he saved you from and to consider your election. God saved you by his mighty power, not because of good that you have done, but according to His loving mercy. Remembering how God ordained your salvation and brought it to pass can give you boldness for the present day. Be encouraged by Christian fellowship and the prayers of saints. Timothy may have been afraid of persecution, but Paul was praying for him. His dear friend lifted him up before the throne of grace. Timothy was not alone. Timothy was not abandoned. When we become fearful or allow fear to manipulate us, the thought of the church praying for you is a great means of boldness. Yet another reason why you need to be in the regular fellowship of a church. We need the prayers of our brothers and sisters, and we need to be able to request prayer. We also need the fellowship of the believers who know us and want the best for us. You can't have that when your forsake the assembly.

We gain boldness by action. It may not seem very spiritual, and it may not seem helpful, but a good way to not be fearful is to run straight into what you are afraid of. Go. Move. Get to the field of service despite your fear and trust in the Lord. This is how you can courage. Stirring up the gift of God is to use the gifts God gave you and kindling the fire of service. Fan the flames of God's gift into a roaring fire. Timothy was called to preach, called to pastor, and called to defend and proclaim the gospel of Christ. The gift God gave him is related to that ministry. But, he thought, if he used his gifts, he would be persecuted, and so he was afraid. Paul’s answer to Timothy’s timidity? Use the gifts. And not half-hardheartedly. Stir them up, kindle the fire and burn down the barriers of fear! When I was small child, I was convinced there was some sort of scary monster standing outside my window. I just knew if I opened the window, I'd be looking face to face with some ugly ghoul wanting to eat me whole. My mom came in my room and I told her why I wasn't asleep, and about the monster outside the window. Do you know what she did? She made me get up and open the window and look outside. That was the very thing I was afraid of! "But what if there IS a monster outside?" She said, "There isn't, but if there is, you'll be able to see it and then deal with it. But, if you lay here wondering, then you'll always be afraid." The advice was sound. If fear keeps you from serving God, the only way to defeat fear is press on in your calling. The work will dampen the fear. The more experience you gain, the less you’ll fear the unknown. And the more you are mortifying the fear in the Spirit of God, the more grace you receive.

God has not given us the spirit of fear. Whenever a Christian has the disposition of fearfulness, know it isn’t God. The character of fear is not a fruit of the Spirit. It’s easy to dress fear up in different garments, but underneath, it’s still fear. We may call it by different names, but it’s still fear. We may call it practicality. We may call it generosity. We may call it broadmindedness, or say we are protecting ourselves. We may say its living to fight another day. But if we search our hearts, we may find our motivation is being afraid. Obviously, this doesn’t do away with wisdom, but be careful that fear isn’t manipulating Scripture to give an easy out. Wise as serpents, after all.

The “spirit” is the source of the power of fear. If you are driving down a mountain and your breaks go out, it would be right and ok to be afraid. That human emotion is useful to release adrenaline and help us to get out of a life or death situation. But God hasn’t give us the spirit of fearful self-preservation. God has given us the spirit of power. Mighty, supernatural, God given power, whereas fear is weakness.

God has given us the spirit of love. Fear is self-motivated, and hesitant to act. Love presses forward for the good of others. Fear keeps us quiet in self-preservation. Love motivates us to move and sacrifice for God and for others. Fear is selfish, thinking only of ourselves. Love is selfless, serving for God’s glory. God has given us the spirit of love.

God has given us a sound mind. Fear takes the mind captive. Fear causes us to be irrational. Fear causes us to miss out on opportunities of service. Fear creates problems that are not really there, or amplifies problems that are really small. Fear takes weak enemies and makes them giants. Fear takes inconsequential barbs and turns them into swords. Fear takes the possibility of disapproval and turns it into a great trial where all the world is watching. It’s not rational. God gives us a sound mind. A healthy mind to be able to look at what is true, what is real, and what is important. God gives us a mind that isn’t ruled by our emotions, but a mind that is ruled by truth and reality.

Fear sells. Fear makes men compliant. Fear lets evil run free. The devil wants you afraid. The enemies of goodness and truth want you afraid. The worst case scenario for evil doers is coming across  a man whose had enough and no longer fears what man can do to him.

From the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias

Interesting article from Alan Jacobs on the technology of the book, thinking about this passage from the gospels.

"In referring to this story, Jesus is clearly indicating that Zechariah — not, to be clear, the one who wrote the book of Zechariah — is the last of the Bible’s prophet-martyrs, just as Abel was the first. Yet this is clearly not so: half a dozen later prophets were martyred, at least according to unanimous tradition. But there is no mistake here, neither by Jesus nor by Luke. By invoking an arc that stretches from Abel to Zechariah, Jesus is indeed imagining a strict sequence, but not that of the history of Israel: rather, he has in mind the sequence of the Bible as he knew it."

Which, believe it or not, he brings this to bear on reading on Kindles and iPads. Like I said, it's interesting. Read more HERE.

Authority and Baptism

Luke 20:1-8 “The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?  ...they answered, that they could not tell whence it was.  And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.”

If baptism began as a man-made ordinance or ritual then it really would not matter how, when, or why you baptized.  Men can change and redefine their creeds and practices to suite their own needs and wants.  Laws, constitutions, by-laws change all day long in different organizations. Baptism, however, is not man-made ordinance but a divinely authorized practice so men do not have the right to change the practice. We can submit to but cannot change what God established. Jesus asked a lot of questions, not because he did not know the answer, but because He wanted the people He asked the questions to give an answer.  Jesus asked in Luke 20:4 a question that should be considered and answered today. “The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?”  If John’s baptism was from men, we have liberty to change it from its original mode and purpose, submit to it  or leave it aside.  We are not bound to observe and follow the traditions of men.  But, as Jesus illustrates by asking the question and as the Pharisees illustrate by not answering the question, John’s baptism did not originate with men.

What did Jesus mean when He asked, “from Heaven or men?”  Jesus asked about the authority and originator of the baptism. Jesus confirms the ministry of John the Baptist as being sent and authorized by God.  The chief priests questioned the Lord’s authority to preach the gospel and teach the Word of God.  Unable to find any other fault with the preaching of Jesus Christ, it was a desperate attempt by wicked men, to try and discredit the Lord by discrediting His ministry.  Since they could not find fault with the doctrine, they would attack His authority to teach.  (By the way, people still do that today to the men of God.  If you don’t like his preaching, find some other reason to discredit the message. He preaches too long or too short, too loud or too quiet. He isn’t refined enough, or he isn’t country enough. The reason is not the man but the message.) Jesus turned the tables by questioning them about John the Baptist and by whose authority He came preaching and baptizing.  They could not answer because both the Lord’s and John’s authority came from the same place – God.  Baptism was not a man-made practice or a preacher invented ritual; but it came from God. John 1:6, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.”  God sent John to preach, prepare and baptize. The Baptism of John and the ministry of Christ are forever linked, even today. Do you have the baptism of John? Have you been baptized for the same purpose, in the same way, with the same God given authority?

When John flinched at baptizing the Lord Christ, Jesus told Him in Matthew 3:15, “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.” John’s baptism was not a vain tradition of men. Immediately after the baptism of the Son of God,  the Spirit of God and God the Father visibly and audibly declared their approval (Matthew 3:16-17). God sanctioned, authorized and approved of John’s Baptism.

John was the first to baptize in the Bible, but certainly was not the only one. By what authority did the disciples baptize believers? John 3:22, “After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.”  John 4:1-2, “...Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,  (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples).”  How did Jesus baptize when John said he didn’t? Christ baptized through His church, using men as His representatives to immerse believers under the water. The apostles baptized for Jesus, in His name. The process and authority to baptize was from Heaven, commissioned by God to John.  Jesus then commissioned and authorized His disciples to baptize believers in His name.  Though the men put people under the water, the authority to do so was from God. Jesus baptized by authorizing His disciples to do it for Him.

The divine ordinance of baptism began when God sent John. Next, Jesus authorized His disciples, to baptize in His name. So then, who can baptize today? Matthew 28:18-20, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost…”.  All power is Christ’s and all authoritative, kingly power is Christ’s and in divine royal authority He commissions the church to go and teach and baptize in the name of the Trinity, in observance of all things He had commanded. Just as the Trinity sanctioned, authorized, and approved of John’s Baptism in Matthew 3, and just as the apostles baptized for Jesus, in His name, the church is commissioned to carry out this same practice in Matthew 28 in name of the Trinity. Just as God sent and authorized John alone, and  just as Christ authorized the disciples alone to baptize, God  authorizes His church, and His church alone to baptize.  The Lord’s church baptizes in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ carrying out the commission with His authority, in His church.  Baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is more than saying the words, but by their authority. 

LORD? A Defense of our English Bible

In preparation for preaching Wednesday, I was studying In Matthew 22:43-46, Jesus said, "How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?' And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions."

"The LORD said unto my Lord..."

I think it's common knowledge for most Bible readers that the word LORD in all caps in our English Bible, refers to the covenant name of God. Some modern translations have taken to replace *some* of those instances with Yahweh or Jehovah (that's a separate issue, and I won't address that here). For years, I've read scholars talk about the crime of the translators following the superstitions of the Jews by not translating God's name, but following the tradition of saying LORD. This is a subject that has fascinated me for well over a decade. I recently preached on the burning bush and dealt with God's name. LORD, I AM that I AM, YHWH  was fresh on my mind as I read this passage.

Jesus quotes Psalm 110:1, “The LORD said unto my Lord…” In both the Old and New Testament, LORD is in all caps in my Bible. In the Psalms, LORD in Hebrew is the Tetragrammaton, the covenant name of God. Hebrew doesn’t have vowels, and until much later in history, they didn’t have vowel markers. The Tetragrammton, God’s name, is spelled in English letters, YHWH. Anytime in our English Bible you see LORD in all caps, it refers to the Divine name. It's not a hidden mystery and I think important to make sure we are aware of the reason for the small caps.

The question: should we or must we substitute LORD with YHWH in our reading or even work toward a translation of the Bible that makes the change? One evangelical author is adamant about getting a translation that changes all instances of LORD to the point of saying it's wrong and superstitious to continue such a foolish tradition. Have God's people been duped for millennia? Does my Bible have literally thousands of mistakes?

Not so fast. Let's think about the passage in Matthew. The Greek Word for LORD is κύριος (kyrios) and that’s the word translated Lord in all three places in Matthew 22:43-46.  But if the King James is mistranslated and it should have been translated YHWH, why didn't the Lord correct it here or why didn't Matthew correct it?

Εἶπεν ὁ κύριος τῷ κυρίῳ μου Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου

See for yourself, the kyrios said to my kyrios. Not YHWH said to my kyrios. 

Did Matthew misquote Jesus? Did Jesus say LORD? Was Matthew wrong in writing LORD?

Or, perhaps, Matthew, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote exactly what God wanted us to read. If we "go to the original", to what original will we go? The Greek which says kyrios or the Hebrew that says YHWH? If "LORD" is wrong, it also means Matthew is wrong. But, since Matthew was under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God is innerant and infallible and Matthew wrote LORD quoting the Old Testament, it is not wrong for us to do likewise in the Old or the New Testaments.

It’s easy to point to Jewish superstitions in the Septuagint as the cause for the practice of writing LORD. But if that’s the reason its in the Bible now, why did Matthew commit the same "error"? Why didn't the New Testament authors, who were hardly afraid of ruffling the feathers of the Jews, not set the churches straight? Or, maybe, in God's providence, the people of God have not been wrongly reading God's Word for 2100+ years. You won't find Jesus or the apostles ever correcting Scripture when they quote the Old Testament even when they quoted their translations. We would be much better off following their practice and stop correcting our Bibles and let our Bibles correct us.

Son of David

In Matthew 22:42-46, Jesus asked the Pharisees, "What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?' And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions."

That’s a good question. What do you think of Christ? I want you to answer that question. Do you think little of him? Do you dislike Jesus? Do you love Jesus? Do you even know him? Jesus asks the all-important question and the answer concerns the destiny of your soul. The Jewish leaders tried to entrap the Lord with questions designed to prove he was either a false teacher or to get him arrested. They utterly failed. Jesus showed himself to be the impeccable Christ and defeated his enemies. Now it’s his turn to ask the questions.

When Jesus asked, “What think ye of Christ, whose son is he?” They answered, “the son of David.” How is that considering Psalm 110:1? David had no one on earth above him. He was king, and only God was higher. Even in his death, no earthly king surpassed him. David was the standard by which all the kings were judged. A good king was said to walk after David. Every king of Judah after him was an heir. These men followed David, sat on David’s throne, walked in David’s ways, were called the sons of David, ruling in the city of David (1 Kings 2:12; 2 Kings 22:2; 2 Chronicles 24:16). The kings of Judah were all sovereigns, but still walked in David’s shadow. How is it then, David called his heir, his son, Lord? “The LORD said unto my Lord”. Jesus said, David, moved by the Holy Spirit, spoke the inspired Word of God, called one of his heirs “my Lord”. The only way that is possible, is if the LORD was his Lord. The Messiah is the son of David, but is also David’s Lord because the Christ is both the son of David, and the son of God. He is truly man, and truly God.

The Pharisees had no answer, realized they were defeated, and left with no more questions. The best of the best thought about what Jesus said, and couldn’t, rather they wouldn’t answer him. Their only option was to either say the inspired word of Psalm 110 was not true or admit that Jesus was correct. And, to confess Jesus right, they must bow, trust in Him as their Saviour, Lord, and Christ. But, they didn’t answer him and walked away. I hope you don’t act like the Pharisees and read the truth of who Christ is and then walk away, heart hardened, not repenting and trusting in him.

Hearing From God

Believers have always longed to hear from God. Imagine being an Old Testament believer living in a time before written revelation. The first five books of the Bible were penned by Moses, the guy we meet at the beginning of Exodus. That means all the people we find in the book of Genesis and Job (Job probably lived before Abraham) did not have a written Bible. Genesis covers around 2,370 years, so there were a lot of people, for a long time, who longed to hear from God.

Now, in the New Covenant, God has given us 66 books of written revelation. On top of that, Christians have the Holy Spirit to guide and teach us. When we read the Bible, we hear from God. Jesus said in Matthew 22: 31-32, “But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” Jesus was talking to unbelieving Sadducees who mocked the supernatural. Jesus condemned them because they had not read, they didn’t understand, and believe the written Word of God. They were responsible to understand what God had revealed.

Also notice how Jesus viewed the Scripture. He said, “have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God.” He didn’t say, “Moses said” even though Moses penned it. Jesus asked if they had not read, in the Bible, what GOD had said “unto YOU.” The Bible is God’s Word. The Bible does not “contain” the Word of God, it is the Word of God. Pseudo intellectuals like to talk about their “translations containing the Word”, but, much like the Sadducees of old, they have a different view of the Bible than Jesus. The Old Testament Scripture did not contain God's Word, it was God's Word.

The Bible is God’s Word, and it is God’s Word to you, and you have access to it. When I open my Bible and read it, I am reading God’s Word. You don’t have to travel to Jerusalem to hear from God. You don’t need to climb a mountain and wait for a vision. You also don’t need to learn Greek or Hebrew to read God’s Word. My English Bible is the Word of God. Don’t let anyone shake your confidence in the Bible. Some will try to make you think only Greek and Hebrew scholars can tell you what God said. Only the trained professionals can know and hear from God and unlock the hidden secrets because they know what God's Word really says. That’s not what Jesus believed.

Some want to make the Bible merely a historical book to see what God said to Moses with little application directly to us today. Jesus didn’t believe that either. Jesus made application to this Old Testament verse, to the people in his hearing, and didn't first feel compelled to let the Sadducees know the historical redemption timeline.

Other believers want to set aside the written, revealed Word and go back to listening and waiting for God to speak and go back to the Old Covenant days instead of enjoying the blessings of the New Covenant. Imagine, being an Old Testament believer living in a time before written revelation. Imagine what it was like for Mahalaleel (Genesis 5:17) knowing only what Adam told him. Then, he finds out one day, there would be a book with the mystery of redemption revealed. That book would be available for anyone to read. God's will revealed. And then people set it aside and wait for a revelation. He'd think we were nuts.

Sovereign Grace, Silsbee Texas

My brother is the pastor of the Sovereign Grace Baptist Church in Silsbee, TX.

He has his sermons online now. Check them out HERE.

Go on now, click and listen.

The Bible Teacher

Baptists are a “people of the Book” and believe God is honored and glorified in the preaching, reading, and teaching of the Word of God. Preaching and teaching are a priority in the church. In 1 Timothy 3:2, Paul says a pastor must be "apt to teach", meaning a he should be one who can teach, who does teach, and is ready to teach. Everyone can't be a teacher (1 Corinthians 12:29) and everyone shouldn't want to be a teacher (James 3:1). Just because someone wants to teach, doesn’t mean they ought to teach (1 Timothy 1:7). But, the church needs teachers (Ephesians 4:11), and there are probably people who could teach, having the knowledge and natural gifts, but don’t (Hebrews 5:12).

Are you a Bible teacher? Teach the Bible (1 Timothy 4:11). This may seem obvious, but too many teach everything BUT the Bible. A pastor was absent from his church and asked an itinerant preacher to come and fill in for him. When the pastor came back the next week, he asked one of the boys at the church what the guest preacher’s sermon was about. “Electricity,” the boy said. Now, whether the boy listened or whether the man really taught the Bible, it’s hard to say, but the big impression the man left on the boy was his stories about electricity. Their can’t be a greater or loftier desire than to know God through Jesus Christ. Entertaining people will make you popular, but it’s a sad substitute to teaching others about Jesus Christ the Lord.

Lewis Carroll had some good horse-sense in his book Alice in Wonderland we can apply to teaching. “Begin at the beginning," the King said, very gravely, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop.” If you want to be a better teacher, listen to the king. To know where the beginning and end of a subject is, you need to know the subject. Then, have a plan for getting where you want your lesson to go. Those traveling with you may not know where you are going, but if they are confident you have some idea, they’ll trust your navigation. I just came back from a Bible conference in Florida and Google Maps gave me the directions, but I had to enter a starting point and a destination before I could get the plan. Start at the beginning, and keep going until you get to the end, then stop your lesson. Someone said their preacher lied every Sunday because he would say, “in conclusion” and then have no intention of concluding. Know your subject. Know what you want to say. Have a point and stick to it. Start at the beginning, go to the end, then stop. Try to winnow your information down to fit in the time allotted and save the rest for another time.

In conclusion… Oh – I’m out of space.