Saturday, October 28, 2006

 

The Prime Directive Matthew 6:33

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

I heard about a man who was walking into a courthouse one day and he saw an old gentleman and a dog. He said to the man, "Does your dog bite?" The old man said, "No." So the man reached over and was going to pet the dog but when he did the dog nipped him. He pulled back and said, "I thought you said your dog didn't bite!" The old man said, "Ain't my dog." You've got to ask the right questions if you expect to get the right answers. Sometimes, people accuse preachers of asking questions that nobody's answering. The fact is, we're probably asking the questions that people ought to be answering. The average person today wants to know what's on at the movies, what's for supper and what will we do tomorrow. We really ought to be asking, Where is all of this going to end? What is life all about? Where did we come from? and, What are we doing here?

The term "Prime Directive" from Science fiction writer Robert Heinlein ("Space Cadet") and is popularised on the Star Trek series of TV shows.

In Star Trek terms, it was to "not interfere with alien cultures"

In Isaac Asmoov's "I, Robot" It was for Robot's to protect humanity. "Robocop" had this theme too.

But when you think about it, every invention has a Prime Directive. A Washing machine is to wash clothes.

An Iron is to iron clothes.

A car is to cost money.

You as a perosn have a Prime Directive. In fact, St Augustine put it this way." Addressing God in prayer he said, "Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts are not at rest until they find their rest in Thee."

Balise Pascal said "there is a God-shaped vaccuum in every human heart that only God Himself can fill."

1. Your Prime Directive is a Personal Demand SEEK ye FIRST

In Papua New Guinea, the Pidgin English spoken is a very simple straight foreword language. Jeff and Joe will be learning this soon. “Nambah One!”

Psa 105:4 Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.
Amos 5:4 For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
Isaiah 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
1Chron 22:17 David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, 18 Is not the LORD your God with you? and hath he not given you rest on every side? for he hath given the inhabitants of the land into mine hand; and the land is subdued before the LORD, and before his people. 19 Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God;

2. Your Prime Directive Is A Proper Demand

His Deity Demands It

Col 1:18 He is also the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He might come to have first place in everything.

His Death Demands it

1 Cor 6: 20 for you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body.

Fredrich Nietzche wrote: "The essential thing 'in heaven and earth' is...that there should be long obedience in the same direction; there thereby results, and has always resulted in the long run, something which has made life worth living.” That was dedication. Every step to Jerusalem was one of commitment and courage. With any stride He could have turned back. He knew what awaited Him inevitably in Jerusalem. Looming on His horizon was the cross of Calvary. His death was, as Nietzche said, "was what made life 'worth living'." It was His reason for being. He had a purpose.
1 John 4: 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His • One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 14 And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God—God remains in him and he in God. 16 And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love. 1 John 4: 19 We love because He first loved us.

WWII epic, “Saving Private Ryan.” It was based on a true story about four brothers who fought in WWII, and three of them died. Captain Miller leads his Ranger platoon deep behind enemy lines to find a single soldier. When they finally reach Private Ryan, they find themselves defending a bridge against overwhelming German odds. They man a brave defense, and in the process of the battle most of the Rangers die and Captain Miller is mortally wounded. In one of the most powerful scenes, Private Ryan, played by Matt Damon, kneels before Captain Miller. The captain, who was a high English teacher, husband and father, is bleeding badly and knows he’s about to die. So, he grabs Ryan by his collar and says, “James, earn this...earn it!” Then the movie flashes forward 50 years to an elderly James Ryan visiting the Normandy American Memorial Cemetery. With his family in the background, Ryan kneels before the grave of John Miller, overcome by emotion. He thinks back on his life and how he tried to live a life worthy of the sacrifice made by those brave soldiers. As he sinks to knees, his wife rushes to his side, and he asks her, “Have I led a good life? Am I a good man?” Realizing why he is asking that profound question, his wife pauses and says sincerely, “Yes, of course you are. You are a good man.” It’s at that moment James Ryan feels he has honored John Miller’s charge to “earn this.”

2. Your PRime Directive Has Practical Dimensions

“seek YE”

"A-P-A-T-H-Y." He underlined it twice, then slammed a huge exclamation point on it that broke the chalk as he hammered it against the board. Suddenly, one of the students up front frowned as he struggled to read the word. Unable to pronounce it, he leaned over to his friend, and asked, "What is 'a-paythee?" His friend yawned back with a sigh, "Who cares

Give the Lord your first Desires

Psa 5:3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

Give the Lord your first Day

Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Give the Lord your first Dollar

Prov 3:9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

Give the Lord your first Devotion

Matt 22:36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the greatest and most important commandment.

3. Your Prime Directive Has A Powerful Dynamic

All these things shall be added unto you.

1 If you seek the Lord you will Experience Peace
”All these things shall be added unto you”

The Lord Jesus has instructed the disciples about true treasures

19 “Don’t collect for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The Lord Jesus has instructed the disciples about the true focus of their lives.

25 “This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the sky: they don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worrying?

The Lord is showing that there is only one thing that deserves Numbah 1 place in your life. And He says that your heavenly Father will look after the rest.

2. If you Seek the Lord You Will Experience God’s Presence
Deut 4:29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. 30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; 31 (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.
James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

CONCLUSION

Psa 63:1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; 2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. 3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. 4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. 5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
Psalm 42:1As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. 2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

2Chron 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.


Friday, October 27, 2006

 

“Singing About So Great A Salvation” Colossians 1:12-14

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
This is the good news we all need. Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day! Because of who he was and what he did, the way of salvation is now open to everyone. The conditions are that we repent of our sins and put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. What is salvation? It is deliverance from the power and penalty of sin. The Bible says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and later adds, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
All of us are different in many ways, yet we are alike in one way: we are all sinners and in need of salvation. That salvation has been provided for us through Jesus Christ. His salvation sets us free from both the power and penalty of sin. Sin gets us in its grip and won’t let go. A cork placed near the surface of water will float to the surface. If pressed down 10, 50, or even 100 feet below the surface and then released, it will rise again; but if the cork is pressed 200 feet below the surface, it cannot rise because the pressure exerted by the water is too great. So it is with us. The deeper we go into sin, there is less probability we will ever rise again.
As the old Southern gospel song goes:
Sin will take you further than you want to go. Slowly but wholly taking control.
It will teach you more than you want to know. Sin will keep you longer than you want to stay.
Sin will cost you more than you want to pay.
That’s the inevitable result of sin when it gets a grip on our lives – but there is hope. We can be set free from both its power and its penalty. Ruth Harms Calkin expressed it beautifully when she wrote:
Lord, There are countless things in my life, That are inexcusable.
There are things unaccountable. Things unexplainable.
There are things irrefutable. And things irresponsible.
But it comes to me as unutterable relief That because of your amazing love
Nothing in my life is unforgivable.
That’s salvation in Christ! But the Bible poses a troubling question to us about it. It asks, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3)
The hymn writer Frederick M. Lehman, expressed it best when he wrote:
The Love of God is greater far Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star, And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled, And pardoned from his sin.
The most moving stanza in the hymn is the final one. Interestingly, it was pencilled on the wall of a narrow room in Bethlehem Hospital.. Bedlam! An insane asylum in London. It may have been penned there by someone who was a believer, man evangelical, in the times when the established church was persecuting Baptists.
The profound lines were discovered after his death. Consider them carefully:
Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above, Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Tho stretched from sky to sky.
(chorus)
O, love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure The saints’ and angels’ song.

There are three things to me that are incomprehensible. I do not mean that there are only three things I do not know; I mean that there are three things I cannot comprehend. The first is eternity: I cannot comprehend time without end.
The second is space: how could we travel forever through space and never reach the end? The third is the love of God for a lost and sin-cursed world – especially in the light of man’s indifference and the way he has trampled God’s love beneath his feet. It is because of that great love that we have a great salvation.
These three aspects of redemption can be understood in three simple verbs: (1) Rescued; (2) Removed; (3) Released.
1. JESUS RESCUED US FROM DARKNESS PROVISION
Revised Standard Version has it, that God has transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, or, as we have translated it, that God has brought us over into the kingdom of his beloved son. The word which Paul uses for to transfer or to bring over is the Greek verb methistemi (). This is a word with a special use. In the ancient world, when one empire won a victory over another, it was the custom to take the population of the defeated country and transfer it lock, stock and barrel to the conqueror's land. Thus the people of the northern kingdom were taken away to Assyria, and the people of the southern kingdom were taken away to Babylon. So Paul says that God has transferred the Christian to his own kingdom. That was not only a transference but a rescue; and it meant four great things.
It meant a transference from darkness to light. Without God men grope and stumble as if walking in the dark. They know not what to do; they know not where they are going. Life is lived in the shadows of doubt and in the darkness of ignorance. When Bilney the martyr read that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, he said that it was like the dawn breaking on a dark night. In Jesus Christ, God has given us a light by which to live and by which to die.

It meant a transference from the power of Satan to the power of God Through Jesus Christ man is liberated from the grip of Satan and is able to become a citizen of the Kingdom of God. Just as an earthly conqueror transferred the citizens of the land he had conquered to a new land, so God in his triumphant love transfers men from the realm of sin and darkness into the realm of holiness and light.

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness.” Colossians 1:13 So here I am swimming along slowly in the deep, dark water. Then suddenly I catch a flash of light as a spinning lure passes above me. I’m not looking to get caught or anything, but that looks interesting. Here I go! I move toward the light, and I grab that lure in my mouth. That’s what happened to me when I became a Christian. I was in the depths of darkness and there was something that attracted me to Jesus–and I moved toward the light and took God’s bait. The Bible says before we ever come to Christ, the Father will draw us, or lure us, to Jesus, the Light of the world. Jesus said in John 6:44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” Jesus came to “seek and to save” (Luke 19:10) those who were lost–and that includes all of us. I was sinking deep in sin; far from the peaceful shore; very deeply stained within; sinking to rise no more; But the master of the sea, heard my despairing cry; From the waters lifted me; now safe am I! (Words by James Rowe, 1912) Before I can be rescued, I must stop trying to save myself
2. JESUS REMOVED THE PENALTY FOR OUR SINS “…in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
PARDON
It reminds me of what Jesus said to Saul on the road to Damascus, “Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” (Acts 26:14) A goad was a sharp stick. So, as Like Grosey the Groper, I come to a point where I realize fighting against the fisherman isn’t going to work, so I surrender to my death. But then, this big guy grabs me and does a strange thing: He removes the painful hook from my mouth. That’s a great picture of forgiveness. We are all hooked on sin, and Jesus lovingly removes the hook, the penalty for our sin. The penalty for my sin is to spend eternity separated from God in a place called hell. Forgiveness is God removing that penalty.
17th century, John Bunyan Pilgrim’s Progress, the greatest allegory in all of literature. Except for the Bible, Pilgrim’s Progress was the all-time best selling book of history, until the 1960s. Peyton Place– Pilgrim’s Progress Christian. travels throughout the land trying to find ultimate truth. But until he finds that truth, he carries a heavy load of sin on his back. When he meets Evangelist, he says to him, “I fear that this burden upon my back will sink me lower than the grave, and I shall fall into hell and the thoughts of these things make me cry.” Like Christian, we are all carrying a load of sin. Christian discovered the only place to unload his weight of sin was to surrender it to Jesus Christ. I owed a debt I could not pay, so Jesus paid it for me After WWII, many of Nazis who committed atrocities against Jews were put on trial for their actions. At one trial a Jew who had endured horrors at a concentration camp was brought into the courtroom to testify against his persecutors. On the stand, he started weeping profusely upon seeing the accused criminals. When asked why he wept, the answer he gave was powerful. Rather than saying he wept because of flashbacks of the horrors he endured, he said that he wept because he was terrified–but not at the Nazi criminals. He said what scared him was as he saw their faces he recognized they were normal people, not madmen. It dawned on him for the first time that he, too, was capable of committing the same atrocities he had experienced. You may be consider yourself a better person than some of the criminals who are sitting on death row, but there is within the heart of each of us the capacity for horrible evil. The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, desperately wicked, who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) No matter how “good” you may think you are; you can never pay the debt of sin that you owe.
It meant a transference from slavery to freedom. It was redemption, and that was the word used for the emancipation of a slave and for the buying back of something which was in the power of someone else. Without God men are slaves to their fears, to their sins and slaves to their own helplessness. In Jesus Christ there is liberation.
It meant a transference from condemnation to forgiveness. Man in his sin deserves nothing but the condemnation of God; but through the work of Jesus Christ he discovers God's love and forgiveness. He knows now that he is no longer a condemned criminal at God's judgment seat, but a lost son for whom the way home is always open.
Bishop George Craig Stewart recalled this story about a time that he joined a group of men in a railroad smoking car. Religion became the topic of conversation, and one man said, “Want to hear my religion, sir? It is the Golden Rule — simply the Golden Rule.” “Want to hear my astronomy, sir?” replied Bishop Stewart. “Twinkle, twinkle little star — simply that.” Astronomy is more complex than that. And God’s gift of salvation is more than the Golden Rule – Christ had to die for our sins, and, in order to be saved, we must repent and trust him.
3. JESUS RELEASED US INTO THE LIGHT POWER “and brought us into the kingdom of the son he loves ...the kingdom of light.” Colossians 1:13
Our salvation is accompanied by great power. It has the power to change, to convert, and to set us free. The Scriptures say, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
“Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!” “If the Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed!” (John 8:36) When I walk in the light, I am walking with God!
Famous author and storyteller Will Campbell walks with a cane. He says that one of the good things about the cane is that it allows him to tell one of his favorite stories:
The cane was made for me by a neighbor who was what we would call illiterate. But he knew something about aesthetics; he knew what was pretty; what really finally mattered. He tore down an old abandoned barn many years ago and discovered that some of the rotting timbers were made of wild cherry. He put them aside, and when he was old, he made things that were at once beautiful and useful for those he loved. Fortunately, I was one of them. It is a fine metaphor for the Gospel — taking something rotten and making something beautiful of it .
Something beautiful something good, All my confusion he understood, All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife, but He made something beautiful of my life.
Never give up on yourself or anyone else. When you say that a situation or person is hopeless, you are slamming the door in God’s face. God can work wonderful changes in our lives if we will let him.

WWII epic, “Saving Private Ryan.” It was based on a true story about four brothers who fought in WWII, and three of them died. Captain Miller leads his Ranger platoon deep behind enemy lines to find a single soldier. When they finally reach Private Ryan, they find themselves defending a bridge against overwhelming German odds. They man a brave defense, and in the process of the battle most of the Rangers die and Captain Miller is mortally wounded. In one of the most powerful scenes, Private Ryan, played by Matt Damon, kneels before Captain Miller. The captain, who was a high English teacher, husband and father, is bleeding badly and knows he’s about to die. So, he grabs Ryan by his collar and says, “James, earn this...earn it!” Then the movie flashes forward 50 years to an elderly James Ryan visiting the Normandy American Memorial Cemetery. With his family in the background, Ryan kneels before the grave of John Miller, overcome by emotion. He thinks back on his life and how he tried to live a life worthy of the sacrifice made by those brave soldiers. As he sinks to knees, his wife rushes to his side, and he asks her, “Have I led a good life? Am I a good man?” Realizing why he is asking that profound question, his wife pauses and says sincerely, “Yes, of course you are. You are a good man.” It’s at that moment James Ryan feels he has honored John Miller’s charge to “earn this.”


Some people go through life bearing a “victim’s mentality.” They always blame someone else or something else for the way they are. For example, “I’m aboriginal, or brown, so it’s hard for me to go anywhere in life.” “I was molested as a child by my uncle.” “My father was an alcoholic.” “My mate abused me.” “We were poor.”
I know these things are real and make life difficult — but God is greater. None of us can afford to blame the past indefinitely. No matter what our past circumstances may have been, we are still responsible.
In the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, a young Greek woman falls in love with an average American man. She is distraught over her Greek heritage and their unusual customs, but her mother tries to console the daughter by telling her not to let the past dictate who you are; instead, let it be a part of who you are.
We need to let God take the bad things that have happened to us and turn them into something good. They can actually make you a better person.

In Hemingway’s, The Sun Also Rises, Bill asks Mike, a dissolute party animal, how he went bankrupt. “Two ways,” Mike replies, “Gradually and then suddenly.”
That’s the way people are lost – gradually and then suddenly. Don’t let it happen to you. Don’t neglect this great salvation made possible through the death of Christ on the cross: repent and believe now. Adolph Coors IV, of the famous beer family, who was converted to Christianity, was fond of saying, “Time doesn’t shout; it just runs out, and sooner than you think.” Time is running out for all of us. Don’t neglect so great a salvation.

 

Revival under Asa 2Chron 14-16 Seeking the Lord

Theme of chronicles is revival, 5 revivals detailed.
The theme of 2 Chronicles Is Found in 2 Chron 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Rehoboam chs. 11 and 12 "humble yourself"
Asa "Seek my face" 14-16
Jehoshaphat 17-20 "Pray"
Hezekiah 29-32 "Turn from your wicked ways"
34, 35 Josiah "Humble yourselves"
“Revival is the sovereign work of God where He restores His own backslidden people to repentance, faith and obedience.” Asa’s revival is unusual as it follows reformation. (usually revival arrests apostasy)
He sought the Lord 9x in chs. 14-16, and 29 x in Chronicles.
1 If you seek the Lord you will experience Peace 2 Chron 14:2-7
Lev 19:31 Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.
Psa 105:4 Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore.
Amos 5:4 For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
Isaiah 55:6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
1Chron 22:17 David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying, 18 Is not the LORD your God with you? and hath he not given you rest on every side? for he hath given the inhabitants of the land into mine hand; and the land is subdued before the LORD, and before his people. 19 Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the LORD.
2. If you Seek the Lord You Will Experience God’s Presence 2 Chron 15:1-7
Deut 4:29 But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. 30 When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; 31 (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.
James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
3. If you seek the Lord you Will Enjoy Prevailing 2 chron 16:1-10
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
Psa 63:1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; 2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. 3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. 4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. 5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
Psalm 42:1As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. 2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

 

2 Samuel 15-19 Coping With Antagonism

Well there's a little boy waiting at the counter of the corner shop He's been waiting down there, waiting half the day, They never ever see him from the top He gets pushed around, knocked to the ground, He gets to his feet and he says... What about me? It isn't fair I don't have enough, now I want my share Can't you see, I wanna live But you just take more than you give Take a step back and see the little people They might be young, but they're the ones that make the big people big So listen as they whisper: "What about me?"
David handles injustice by recognizing that God sometimes allows people of incredible disloyalty and ill will to antagonize us (16:5-14). 15:13 And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom. that Shimei is from the same clan as Saul's family. Chances are he lost his perks and privileges when Saul died and a new dynasty took over. Much like the Sunni insurgents in Iraq who had become accustomed to absolute power when Sadam Hussein was in control, he just couldn't come to grips with David's reign. In addition, during the civil war after Saul's death, many members of Saul's family were killed, so Shimei probably lost a lot of relatives and blamed David for it.

David handles injustice by recognizing that God brings people of incredible loyalty and grace across our path to help us through times of injustice or betrayal (15:13-22).

Ittai Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me. (Ruth 1:16, 17)

Barzillai, 19:31-37 Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old: and he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man. 33 And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem. 34 And Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem? 35 I am this day fourscore years old: and can I discern between good and evil? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king? 36 Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with the king: and why should the king recompense it me with such a reward?

David handles injustice by refusing to risk harm to the Lord's name in order to protect his own interests. (15:25). As David was fleeing from Jerusalem we are told that “The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by.” 2 Samuel 15:24-30: Zadok

David refuses to get angry with God for discipline he deserves. (15:25; 16:10,11).

David sends the Ark back to Jerusalem: "If I find favor in the Lord's eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it (i.e. the Ark) and his dwelling place again. But if he says, 'I am not pleased with you,' then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him."

David refuses to accept counsel that appeals to ungodly instincts. (16:9,10). After Shimei heaps his curses on David, we read in 16:9, “Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head.” I like the way Chuck Swindoll tells this story in an article he wrote for his church newsletter back in 1987: "One of David's colleagues, a fella named Abishai, asked permission to put him out of his misery. He was serious. "Lemme at him. I'll slit his neck so fast he won't know it 'til he sneezes!" That's right out of the original Hebrew, I guess.

We all have friends like Abishai, and I use that term "friends" loosely. They are individuals who inevitably take our side and counsel responses that they think we want to hear. But they are not real friends because their counsel will only lead us into a deeper hole. Those of us who have a tendency to react to losers like Shimei with anger and revenge need to be especially careful to pick counselors unlike Abishai, counselors who have gentle spirits and who will temper our tendency to retaliate rather than encourage such rash behavior. Instead of agreeing to the revenge Abishai demands, David says, "Let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. It may be that the Lord will see my distress and repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today." (19:14‑23). Again Abishai later after David returns home says let’s get Shimei!” Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said, "Shouldn't Shimei be put to death for this? He cursed the LORD's anointed." David replied, "What do you and I have in common, you sons of Zeruiah? This day you have become my adversaries! Should anyone be put to death in Israel today? Do I not know that today I am king over Israel?" So the king said to Shimei, "You shall not die." And the king promised him on oath

David handles injustice by focusing on the character of God

. . . the justice of God. (15:25,26).

. . . the sovereignty of God (Psalm 37:1‑13)

. . . the goodness of God (16:12). In the story of Shimei David says, "It may be that the Lord will see my distress and repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today."

1. With anger, retaliation, and violence 2. Or with pity, depression, and withdrawal 3. Or we can give it to the One who judges justly, always! In his first epistle Peter urges us to bear up under suffering even if we have done nothing to deserve it, using the example of Christ. "When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly." 1peter 4:19 19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

 

Matthew 6:25-34 Worry

Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Worry is one of the greatest indicators of what we believe about God. Jesus defines worry as being faithless, godless, pointless, and useless for people who desire to be His followers. Worry can be overcome by remaining in the presence of God.
-Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.-Don't be irreplaceable; if you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.-Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else.-Never test the depth of the water with both feet.-If you think nobody cares if you're alive, try missing a couple of electricity payments-Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.-If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you.-Some days you are the bug, some days you are the windshield.-Never miss a good chance to keep your mouth closed.-Don't' worry, it may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.

Well, it's that concept of worry that I want to consider with you this morning. The word, "worry" in the Bible, comes from two Greek words–mind, and to divide. So literally, worry means "to divide the mind". And anytime you divide something that is not supposed to be divided, you have problems.
Worry divides the feelings; therefore emotions lack stability.Worry divides the understanding; therefore convictions are shallow and changeable.Worry divides the faculty of perception; therefore observations are faulty and even false.Worry divides the faculty of judgment; therefore attitudes and decisions are often unjust and lead to damage and grief.Worry divides the determinative faculty; therefore plans and purposes if not scrapped altogether are not filled with persistence.
Matthew 6:2525 "Therefore...
Let me stop there. Because, before God wants to teach us about worry, He wants to do a review. Did you know, that whenever you see the word "Therefore" in your Bible, that's a road sign that you should refer back to what was said just before it, so you don't take the words you are about to read, out of the context in which they were written?
In this case, "Therefore" refers to what we studied last week. What do you treasure? What are the things or concepts that you are using to define you? What do you hold to when the dark times of life come your way? What to you rely on when you have setbacks or difficult times? Your answer to those questions determine your ability to apply what Jesus is about to say.
You see, if you are holding on to... and relying on... and defining yourself by... your...bank account, ...or your investments, ...or your house, ...or your land investments,...or your circumstances, ...or your job status ..or what you think people think of youthen worry for you is going to be like wrestling with an octopus. Just when you think you've got one worry taken care of, another one is going to grab you. It will never end! But for the rest of us, who are storing up heavenly treasure–that is, we're paying attention and earnestly trying to apply the principles of the Sermon on the Mount in practical ways to our lives, Jesus has this to say about worry.
1. Worry is Faithless
Matthew 6:25 25 "... I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
Worry is Sin Jesus says here, "Don't worry about your life." The form of this sentence in the Greek language is what's called the emphatic; In other words, "stop it–and never do it again." It is a direct command. Now, the word "life" that He uses is inclusive. It means your whole life–mental, physical, emotional, spiritual.
So, this statement in verse 25 has a broad application to every single area of each of our lives. We could say that a Christian's worry about anything having to do with anything is something that God views as being in direct disobedience to Him. It shows a lack of faith on our part that God is really God. In other words, worry is sin.
The great devotional writer, A. W. Tozer puts it this way... If only we would stop lamenting and look up. God is there. Christ is risen. The Spirit has been poured out from on high. All this we know as theological truth. It remains for us to turn it into joyous spiritual experience.
A dense fog covering the City of Newcastle is composed of something less than one glass of water. Think about that for a moment.
Isn't that what worry does? It divides all our energies and makes our perspective foggy.
This is what the things we worry about are like. If we could see into the future like God does, and if we could see the things we worry about as they really are, we'd see them in their true size.
"What we worry about is never as great in substance as the emotional energy we use to maintain our level of unhappiness."
So understand Jesus' first point–worry is faithless. It is a lack of faith in the God who loves you, and is bigger than any worry you have.
2. Worry is Godless
Now, here's the second thing you need to understand about worry... It's godless.
Matthew 6:26-30 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? In this group of verses, Jesus gives three illustrations–not about food, or life expectancy or clothing–but about our "heavenly Father". The basic question He asks is this, "Don't you know who your dad is?" Since God is your father, than for you to worry is to dismiss God, or exclude God from your thinking and from your life!
A. Food Maybe a flock of birds just flew over head, or maybe one landed near where this group of people listening to Jesus were sitting. Something caused Jesus to use birds as His first illustration.
Now, birds don't have a complex way of gathering and storing food. When you're not looking, they don't fly into their nests or bird houses, and read the papers to find out about droughts, or grain yields. They don't have bird cookbooks, or go to seed sales. Like every other living creature, they rely on God for their support. Now, Jesus isn't suggesting that birds do nothing to feed themselves. Anyone who has ever observed animals in the wild, know how diligently and persistently they search for food. But they don't worry, they're not treated for ulcers, they don't sit around and watch the stock exchange. They gather food, until they have enough, and when they need more, they go out and get more! Jesus point is that if God does that for a living creature who isn't human, how much more will He do this for men and women, who are treasuring up the right things in their lives, who are created in His image.
B. Fitness (v.27) the physical make up of our lives. I used to be called a dunnart at High school. Do you know what a dunnart is? its a small hairy creature that has a sloping forehead, a long nose and buck teeth. I spent years trying to poush my teeth back with my hands, until I learnt that I better accept the way God has made me. buck teeth are good for.. eating apples!
this also speaks of worry about the length of our lives. It seems like everyone is obsessed with life expectancy these days. We are living longer than ever before! We make sure we eat right and exercise right. But the bottom line is that we all eventually die. Jesus' point in verse 27 is that God is in control of a person's life. He has established the borders of when you will be born, how long you will live, and when you will die. Worrying doesn't make life longer, however, but medical research is showing that worry does make life shorter! Health studies tells us that worry can have negative effects on circulation, the heart, the glands and the whole nervous system. There's an old English proverb that says... Work won't kill, but worry will.
C. FASHION Clothing The third illustration Jesus uses is flowers! Have you ever seen a flower decorate itself. Of course not! God clothes them in a beauty that surpasses the beauty of the clothes that the richest man who ever lived, Solomon, had. So, don't worry about what you wear. So, was Jesus suggesting we walk around naked? No. He's simply saying God cares about even that aspect of your life. So don't spend time "worrying, fretting, and being concerned over what you will wear".
D. The Future
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Now, you may be thinking, Oh, come on, worry is such a little, silly, sin. Why doesn't Jesus concentrate on the major sins like murder, lying, stealing and adultery?
But, you see, the point of these three illustrations are to show us that worry isn't just a little sin. Worry is an assault on the love of God by people who claim to be His followers! It questions His love, His affection and His integrity. Worry is another way of saying, "I don't trust you, God, I am not counting on Your promises, and I don't really believe Your Word". Worry is accepting the perspective of the moment, and rejecting the eternal perspective. This is one of the key reasons why I encourage you so much to do the necessary things to build your relationship with God!
The spiritual disciplines of daily prayer, and daily Bible study give us a fresh perspective, a consistent attitude and outlook on God's love and provision. The absence of those disciplines gives Satan the opportunity to......fill the void in our thinking with discontentment, despair, and doubt.Worry basically has the effect of kicking God out of our thinking. That means, worry is godless!
3. Worry is Pointless
The third thing that worry is, is talked about in verses 31-33...
Matthew 6:31-33 31 So do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Jesus is saying, that for the Christian, worry is pointless! Worry is unreasonable for a child of God. Because a person who has a relationship with God has a God who supplies all their needs.

Deuteronomy 31:8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

A friend of mine from Yeoval used to have a pig farm, he told the story of how as a kid he would go into the pens. We raised pigs. We raised about a thousand pigs a year. In one field we had two or threehundred little piglets running around. Every day, at four in the morning, as I'd walk intothe field to feed those guys, they'd scatter. Once a little pig came up and began to chew onmy foot, so I picked him up and began to pet him. Soon he wanted down.
I said, "No, I'll let you down when I'm ready." At that moment, he let out a squeal such as I had never heard. In about two seconds, thirty mama pigs weighing five to six hundred pounds each were headed my way. I put him down and headed for the fence. I barely made it over, and all the mama pigs were snorting and walking back and forth, daring me to come back over and bother one of their kids. I look back at that and realize the little rascal wasn't intimidated. He was out of control, but he wasn't intimidated. Why? Because one squeal away he had resources.
Now friends, let me ask you something. If one of God's creatures is that sensitive to the cry of its own, how much more sensitive is the heavenly Father to the cry of His own? Just one squeal away we have resources. So worry is pointless.
4. Worry is Useless
But not only is worry faithless, godless and pointless, it is also useless. Look at verse 34...
Matthew 6:34 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Worry and the future
Jesus is saying, worry doesn't make sense, because of our future. In this verse, Jesus gives us great insight on how do deal with worry! He's not saying, don't make provision for tomorrow! Because it would be foolish not to buy milk and groceries for today and tomorrow! There is a difference between making a reasonable provision for tomorrow, and worrying about tomorrow!
The author, George MacDonald once said, "No man ever sank under the burden of the day. It is when tomorrow's burden is added to the burden of today that the weight is more than a man can bear. Never load yourself so."
2. What to do
The practical bottom line is that we are to concentrate on the trials, the problems, the opportunities and struggles we face today. Tomorrow will bring a whole new set of "stuff". But God promises you–wisdom for today.–grace for today,–strength for today,–forgiveness for today, and–mercy for today.In other words, There are 2 days in a person's life about which no one should worry–yesterday and today!

Years ago, in the pioneer days of aviation, Bert Hinkler was making a long distance flight over water. After he had been gone for some two hours from his last landing field, he heard a noise in his plane, which he recognized as the gnawing of a rat. He realized that while his plane had been on the ground a rat had gotten in. For all he knew the rat could be gnawing through a vital cable or control of the plane. It was a very serious situation. He was both concerned and anxious. At first he didn't know what to do. It was two hours back to the landing field from which he had taken off and more than two hours to the next field ahead. Then he remembered that the rat is a rodent. It's not made for heights; it is made to live on the ground and under the ground. Therefore the pilot began to climb. He went up a thousand feet, then another thousand and another until he was more than twenty thousand feet up. The gnawing ceased. The rat was dead. The rat couldn't survive in the atmosphere of those heights. More than two hours later the pilot brought the plane safely to the next landing field and found the dead rat, frostbitten, without air.
Friends, listen to me...worry is a rat.-It cannot live in the secret place of the Most High God.-It cannot breathe in the atmosphere of God's Word.-Worry dies when we climb up to the Lord through prayer.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

 

Colossions 1:9-12 The success Syndrome

For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, 10 so that you may • walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing [to Him], bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Scots are a wiley lot. They understood early that they would never be world conquorers, and so they unleashed a devastating malady through which they could conquer the world. that malady is GOLF.

One day , ina bid to export this malady overseas in their programme of world conquest, a Scotsman demonstrated the game to U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant.
After four more misses, finally the Scotsman stopped, and stood there huffing. As he wiped pieces of dirt from his beard, President Grant said, “There seems to be a fair amount of exercise in the game, but I fail to see the purpose of the ball.”

Today many define their purpose in terms that are truly counter productive. Success is the goal, but how do we define success?
The old four seem to rule the heart of western man, whether christian or non christian: FAME FORTUNE POWER OR PLEASURE! these seem to be the ways we define success. Why this is true even in the church! Success is defined as being famous, having the mega church. Some are so addicted to the success syndrome that they miss out on the true definition of success.

When you have been in dire trouble, undoubtedly you have prayed. You praued for what was important! "God get me out of this mess! Please!"
We knew what was impotant when our safety was threatened.
What you prayed about was what was important. What Paul prayed about was what was important. Here is the definition of true sucess.

1. You Can Be Successful 9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
Look at those words!to know and do the will of God is what is important!
there are many pastors desiring to affirm themselves as succesful by creating a mega church ministry! For every thousand that try, one is successful. Therefore there are 999 failures!
Or is there? Surely doing God's will is what important, whereever His will may be found!
Whatever His will may be! You need to know God's will.
God's will is not something hidden away and secret. 99% of God's will for your life is already revealed in His Word.
1Thess 4 says this is the will of God, your sanctification.
God desires for you to be a holy person.
1 Thess 5 says In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concering you!

Newcastle Harbour, the Hunter River can only be navigated by sailing up a narrow channel between dangerous rocks. Over the years many ships were wrecked and sank because of the difficult passage. Before the advent of GPS, to guide the ships toward the harbor, three lights were mounted on tall poles. When the captain lined up those three lights and kept them in line, he could sail safely into the harbor. If he ever saw two or three lights, he knew he was off course. God has also given us three lights to guide us toward His will. They are (1) The word of God (the Bible); (2) The witness of the Holy Spirit (the still, small voice); and (3) The wisdom of godly friends. Those three resources will never contradict each other. Don’t ever move forward unless you can line up these three lights.


2. You Can Be Delightful 10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing,
God wants you to be pleasing to Him.
Do you remember just after you were born, well some of you may not, some may, how all the aunts and uncles leaned over the crib and said to you "there you are you cute little baby, coochy coochy coo.. aren't you just delightful!" And then you grew up!

25 years ago I helped to commence a Christian School at Albion Park Rail. We the committee met for 9 months with just one question. What would be the theme verse for the school.
I remeber the motto of my High School, Engadine High, it was "Don't Get Caught!" Our principal absconded with some gym equipment and sold it to pay off gambling debts.. he got caught. I met him again a few years ago at a funeral, his nose was red and face blotchy with alcoholism. I introduced myself to him as a former student. he said "What do you do now?" I said I was the pastor of the Newcastle Baptist church. He replied "No one from Engadine High School ever amounted to much!" I replied, "not with you as a model"
But that motto was important for the christian school, as it would set the agenda for what that school would be about. Finally we settled on 1 scripture : 2 Corinthians 5:9 Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to Him.

We reduced it to "In all things please Him."
Now that's a good motto for every Christian life. Plewase Him who redeemed us.
We sang tonight the words of

I vow to thee, my Saviour, all earthly things above, Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love: The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test, That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best; The love that never falters, the love that pays the price, The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.

And there's another country, I've heard of long ago, Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know; We may not count her armies, we may not see her King; Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering; And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase, And her ways are ways of gentleness and all her paths are peace.

O God beyond all praising, we worship you today
and sing the love amazing that songs cannot repay;
for we can only wonder at every gift you send,
at blessings without number and mercies without end;
we lift our hearts before you and wait upon your word,
we honour and adore you, our great and mighty Lord.

Then hear, O gracious Saviour, accept the love we bring,
that we who know your favour may serve you as our king;
and whether our tomorrow’s be filled with good or ill,
we’ll triumph through our sorrows and rise to bless you still:
to marvel at your beauty and glory in your ways,
and make a joyful duty our sacrifice of praise.

that first verse sums up what it means to please Him.


3. You Can Be Fruitful being fruitful in every good work,
Dr. Warren Wiersbe: “In my pastoral ministry, I have met people who have become intoxicated with ‘studying the deeper truths of the Bible.’ Usually they have been given a book or introduced to some teacher’s tapes. Before long, they get so smart they become dumb! The ‘deeper truths’ they discover only detour them from practical
Christian living. Instead of getting burning hearts of devotion to Christ, they get big heads and start creating problems in their homes and churches.”
there was a problem in the Colossian church where some said that they had expeienced a new spiritual experience that made them a cut above the ordinary run of the mill christian. By some new experience they had a new knowledge of God that surpassed anything else. (Sort of like the pentecostals today!
Paul says "hold on.. what counts is fruitfulness!"
Now fruitfulness can be our godly christian character:the fruit of the Spirit is lovee joy peace patience kindness goodness gentlenss faithfulness self control..."
Fruitfulness can also be the quality of leading someone to Christ for salvation. "You did not choose Me, Jesus said, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain. John 15.
But here furitfulness is clearly defined as every good work!
Is your life and character issuing in good works? That's a succesful life.

4. You Can Be Skilful and increasing in the knowledge of God;
With Eleisha our daughters engagement this week, a few people have asked me "How did you get to know Lorelle?" Well it all began with a wedding,We met there, and I would take around typing for Lorelle, my college essays. She'd first of all take them to a pharmacist to get translated, then she'd sit down and type the, She'd say she didn't have a clue what I'd written about. I had to agree with her. I didn't either... and either did my lecturers!
She didn't realsise that they actually didn't require the essays to be typed (I've never told her this till today). It actually amde it more confusing for them, because now they could actually read the words I'd written, it still didn't make much sense.

Yes getitng to know my wife began at a wedding and finishes at a funeral.
You never stop learning. And the same is true of our knowledge of God. Our relationship with the Lord eepens every day as we grow to know Him more deeply.
2 Peter 3 says "But grow in the grace and knowlede of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." Are you growing to know Him more deeply each day? Do you read His word each day? You'll never grow without reading His Word.

5. You Can Be Powerful
11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering
that's the cry today..I want power! Why? To do some mighty task? no to endure. just to endure. It's about Self Control
Shimei said, “Get out, get out, you man of blood, you scoundrel! The Lord has repaid you for all the blood you shed in the household of Saul, in who place you have reigned. The Lord has handed the kingdom over to your son Absalom. You have come to ruin because you are a man of blood!” “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head.” “’Leave him alone; let him curse. It may be that the Lord will see my distress and repay me with good for the cursing I am receiving today.’ So David and his men continued along the road while Shimei was going along the hillside opposite him cursing as he went and throwing stones at him and showering him with dirt.” 2 Sam 16:7-13
“Easy, Albert. Take it easy, Albert, just relax. Stay calm, Albert.” One lady came over and said, “Sir, I just want to commend you on your calmness and control as you spoke to little Albert there.” The man said, “His name is Joe, my name is Albert! Easy Albert!”
Perseverance “It is always too soon to quit! Only by perseverance did the snail finally reach Noah’s ark.”

6. You Can Be Joyful

with joyfulness; 12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
A life characterised by joy. Hey you can have heaps of money and be unhappy! Is that successs?
You can be a powerful mogul, a tyrant and be miserable, is that success?
You can be famous, and depressed.. is that success?
Success is being joyful in whatever circumstances you are. In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you!

William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army was asked the secret of his success. "The Lord has all of that there is to have!"
That is the secret to success.

Thursday, October 12, 2006

 

Affluenza Matthew 6:19-24

“Don’t collect for yourselves treasureson earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But collect for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness—how deep is that darkness! 24 “No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money.


"The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years. Those nations have progressed through the following sequence: from bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to selfishness; from selfishness to complacency; from complacency to apathy; from apathy to dependency; and from dependency to bondage (Alexander Tytler, 1748-1813). We are the Coles-Myer society. We may have 52 different varieties of Heinz beans we can eat only one kind at a time. There are more "things" in our world today than ever before. 1,200 to 1,500 new commodities appear each. You can buy 11 brands of toilet tissue in one, four, six, and eight packs and in various colours and patterns, five brands of dried spaghetti, 13 colas, 31 cat foods, and 20 barbecue sauces. Let's not even talk about restaurants, running shoes, cable TV channels and magazines! We've been stricken with Affluenza! The myth is that your happiness depends on getting a share of all this new loot. Ad agencies hire very clever people and pay them six-figure salaries to think of ways to make you think you need all these "things"! "Who says you can't have it all?" Reality says it, but people aren't listening. "We now live in a world of. . . constantly-appearing new things. . . that promise to fulfil our dreams for freedom and meaning. Consumer goods and the entire culture of consumption have become the focal points for human desire" (Lendol Calder in Critique, Issue #8-1990, p. 7). What really matters in life. . . to you? If I asked you what you believe are the top three things that most matter in life, what would you say? Our parents generation might have said God, family, and apple pie. The vacuum cleaner salesman we just saw might say money, sex, and power. Those in the MTV age might say Oprah, Dr. Phil, and Days of Our Lives! Not many people would say that temporal things like sports and money-making and celebrities are the most important things in life--they just act like it.This is an important question because what you truly value in life is often what you'll wind up getting. Be sure, then, that what really matters to you is what really matters!

Jesus Christ taught us what really matters in Matthew 16.24- 27: Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

Do you remember when the Great Temptation was on TV, or Let's Make a Deal, especially at the end of the show when people who'd won big prizes were given the chance to risk their winnings for the really big deal behind door number one, two, or three. Some gambled and won--cars, vacations, and bankrolls. Others gambled and lost. They had already won a great prize, but forfeited it for a worthless joke. Each one of us is invited to play a cosmic game of Let's Make a Deal, only the stakes in this game are much higher. You're invited to believe Jesus Christ when He says that matters of eternity--of the soul and spirit--are what really matter in life. Or you can bet that He's wrong and trade your soul for the temporal perks of this world, hoping to cash in when the curtains part at the end of time.


1. WE MUST POSSESS TRUE WEALTH
There was one TV show I used to hate, and I was glad that they took it off. Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous.
Solomon knew wealth didn't satisfy.
Ecclesiastes 1 I also amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I gathered male and female singers for myself, and many concubines, the delights of men. 9 Thus, I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem; my wisdom also remained with me. 10 All that my eyes desired, I did not deny them. I did not refuse myself any pleasure, for I took pleasure in all my struggles. This was my reward for all my struggles. 11 When I considered all that I had accomplished and what I had labored to achieve, I found everything to be futile and a pursuit of the wind. There was nothing to be gained under the sun.
Prov 15:16 Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure with turmoil.
Prov 23:4 Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. 5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.
Prov 11:4 Wealth is not profitable on a day of wrath, but righteousness rescues from death.
1Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you,
The problem is in our Affections.

2. WE MUST PERCEIVE TRUE WISDOM

v. 22-23 The eye is the window that lets the light in. The amount of light that comes in is dependent upon the condition or health of the eye. Single = healthy Evil = blurred
The eye is the lamp of the body. If you eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness.”
Here’s the principle: Greed blinds. The bad eye or “evil” eye was a Jewish idiom for miserliness or selfishness. So in this teaching, Jesus is saying that if your eyes are bad, then your eyes are, as it were, blinded by greed in materialism - that is treasure on earth. We become so focused on possessions and the circumstances of life on this earth that we are blinded to investment opportunities God brings our way. We’re so distracted by the here and now that we can’t see the forevermore.
Luke 12: 16-21 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.
What’s the point of His story? It’s this: He’s saying, “This guy had a conflict of interest: His interests verses God’s interests; earthly priorities verses heavenly priorities; personal possessions verses heavenly treasures.” He was also saying, “Learn from this guy. He got it all wrong. He had the “evil eye.” He was blinded to eternal investments because he was focused on his earthly stockpile. It’s a foolish and short-sighted way to live.”
Question is: are you spiritually minded or materially minded? Clear vision means you are spiritually minded…seeing things in perspective, w/ eternal values in full view. But materially minded people have a blurred vision of what life is truly all about.
Psalm 86: 10 For You are great and perform wonders; You alone are God. 11 Teach me Your way, Lord, and I will live by Your truth. Give me an undivided mind to fear Your name. (Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. KJV)
I vow to thee, my Saviour, all earthly things above, Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love: The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test, That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best; The love that never falters, the love that pays the price, The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.
The Problem is in our Perceptions
“The eye is the lamp of the body. If you eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light... Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
What do you see? Do you see what you lack? Or do you see what you’ve got?
Do you see how God has richl blessed you, with the love of the Father? With friends and family that love and care for you? I mean really, that’s what really matters. Or do you see what you lack? Do you see what others have got? Why don’t you enjoy what God has given you?
1Timothy 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. 17 HCSB Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy. Can you enjoy a beautiful summers day? Or do you need a boat to enjoy it?
In Tolstoy’s War and Peace, Napoleon is marching on Moscow in 1812. Within a few days, the city is doomed to fall, so all the people are busy packing their possessions to evacuate. One wealthy count has more than thirty carts loaded with furniture and valuables in the courtyard of his mansion. But also in the courtyard and lining the streets of the city are wounded soldiers, waiting inevitable death at the hands of Napoleon’s advancing army. Suddenly, the count’s daughter sees it: possessions on the carts to be rescued; wounded people on the ground left to die. With tears in her eyes, she runs to her father, pleading to put the wounded on the carts. The count, who has a tender heart as well, sees the shame of it. The count quickly tells the servants to take the possessions off and put the wounded on. The servants, who one minute before were doing “the only thing there was to do” – were now doing the “only thing that could be done” – taking possessions off the carts and putting people on.
Let me ask you a question: What’s on your carts? Possessions? Things that take up our time and energy and money? Things that are temporary, that moth and rust will decay? Or people? What will be your joy and your crown when you stand before God, if you know Him.


3. WE MUST PRACTICE TRUE WORSHIP
Bob Dylan wrote in 1979 the words on a an Album, Slow Train Coming:

You gotta serve somebody
You may be an ambassador To England or France You might like to gamble You might like to danceYou may be the heavyweight Champion of the world You might be a socialite With a long string of pearls
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody Yes indeed, you’re gonna have to serve somebodyWell it may be the Devil Or it may be the Lord But you’re gonna have to serve somebodyMight be a Rock-n-roll addict Prancing on the stage Money, Drugs at your commandWomen in a cage You may be a businessman Or some high DJV They may call you doctor Or they may call you chiefBut you’re gonna have to serve somebody Yes you are, you’re gonna have to serve somebodyWell it may be the Devil Or it may be the Lord But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
The Problem is in our Directions.
v. 24 Mammon = money or riches
“Serve” means to be a slave. And we all are ‘owned’ by someone or something. You may even feel you are your own boss…but you belong to someone, somewhere!
A man walked down street in Sydney wearing a sandwich board which read on the front, “I am a fool for Christ”. People walked by him and laughed, then looked back and saw the other side which read, “Whose fool are you?”
We all serve someone or something…and it’s a matter of our will.
I suspect that one of the reasons Christians are so ineffective in evangelism is that we are so much like the people around us that we have very little to which we can call them. . . As a result. . . Christianity is reduced to little more than a spiritual crutch to help us through the minefields of the upwardly mobile life. . .God has become a co- conspirator in our agendas instead of our becoming a co-conspirator in His. . . (Tom Sine).
Maybe a construction worker Workin’ on a home Might be living’ in a Mansion You might live in a domeYou may own guns And you may even own tanks You may be someone’s landlord You may even own banksBut you’re gonna have to serve somebody Yes, you’re gonna have to serve somebodyWell it may be the Devil Or it may be the Lord But you’re gonna have to serve somebodyMight like to wear cotton Might like to wear silk Might like to drink whiskeyMight like to drink milk Might like to eat caviar You might like to eat breadMaybe sleeping on the floor Sleepin’ in a king-size bed
You’re still gonna have to serve somebody Yes, you’re gonna have to serve somebodyWell it may be the Devil And it may be the Lord But you’re gonna have to serve somebody
What does that mean in the context of serving two masters? It means simply this. There is no time off from being a follower of Jesus Christ in order to pursue things that are not consistent with being a follower of Jesus Christ. You belong exclusively to God OR you don't receive the benefits of belonging to Him.
You cannot claim to be a Christian and pursue things that are not consistent with the Christian faith, and hope to have a chance of getting through the difficult times of your life with God's divine light and help. It will not happen.
A follower of Jesus Christ cannot have divided loyalties. We cannot have the benefits of a love-relationship with God on our terms. A complete relationship with God is, in fact, conditional. It is predicated on a desire and a tangible effort on your part to strive for personal holiness as you learn about it from God's Word. To put it in modern terms, "it's God's way or the highway." There is no in-between. And Jesus said, you must choose which master you're going to follow–God or money.
Several years ago, construction workers were laying a foundation for a building outside the city of Pompeii. They found the corpse of a woman who must have been fleeing from the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius but was caught in the rain of hot ashes. The woman's hands clutched jewels, which were preserved in excellent condition. She had the jewels, but had lost her life.
That's the bottom line, friends. Worldly treasures are not wise investments because you can't take them with you–they have no eternal value.
Jim Elliot, a missionary who was martyred for his faith, understood this reality when he wrote in his journal, "A person is no fool to give up what he cannot keep in order to gain what he cannot lose."

Saturday, October 07, 2006

 

The Charismatic Movement

There is such a lot of silly stuff written about the modern tongues movement. I have found some very helpful articles by Gary Gilley, and I reproduce two or three here.


Doctrinal Distinctives of the Charismatic Movement - Part 1(August 1999 - Volume 5, Issue 8)

The focus of the Pentecostal and charismatic movements has always been centered on shared experiences, not theology. This is especially true of those in the charismatic movement which transcends all denominations. Thus, for example, there are Catholic charismatics, who believe in a sacramental form of salvation, and there are Lutheran charismatics who believe that infant baptism is redemptive, and there are Baptist charismatics who believe they are saved through faith alone. While these three types of charismatics might vary widely in their views of the fundamentals of their faith, what they have in common is an experience — the experience of speaking in tongues. While all charismatics do not personally speak in tongues, all would accept the validity of tongues-speaking. This experience does have a doctrinal framework, of course, which could be expressed in the following two statements:
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a second work of grace that brings power in the life of the believer.
The evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues.
The logical conclusion of these statements is that a person who has not been baptized by the Holy Spirit is a "second class" Christian and is not experiencing the power of God in their life. If the charismatics are correct, an important ingredient is missing from the spiritual life of most Christians. If they are wrong they have elevated a questionable at best, or at worst, a fraudulent practice to the centerpiece of Christian living. It would seem vital that believers would want an answer to this puzzle, but such is often not the case. Instead one finds an ambivalence in most circles — If speaking in tongues works for you then fine, if not, no big deal. But we are not talking about the latest fad in sneakers here, we are discussing an important element of truth. If the baptism of the Holy Spirit is truly a subsequent experience, with the evidence of speaking in tongues, then all Christians should seek this baptism. If it is not, then this theology should be exposed and denounced. One can’t have it both ways.
The biblical foundation for the unique theological position of charismatics is found almost entirely in the book of Acts.
Four passages are critical:
Acts 2:1-8 — The day of Pentecost where tongues were first spoken.
Acts 8:14-18 — In Samaria where the new believers did not receive the Holy Spirit until the apostles came, even though there is no record of tongues being spoken.
Acts 10:44-48 — At Cornelius’ house when the Gentiles received the Spirit.
Acts 19:1-7 — When John’s disciples received the Spirit at conversion and spoke in tongues.
A careful study of the above passages, and others, will reveal that it is extremely difficult to base doctrine on the book of Acts. Acts is a book of history, tracing the transitional nature of the early church. Note the transitional nature and the diversity of the reception of the Holy Spirit in these four passages. For example, there is no speaking in tongues in Acts 8; no wind or fire except in Acts 2; some, who were already saved, received the Spirit, along with some new converts, etc. However now, according to Romans 8:9 and I Corinthians 12:13, the Holy Spirit is always received at the moment of conversion.
It should also be noted that most converts, even in the book of Acts, did not speak in tongues. The following believers apparently did not speak in tongues: 3000 at Pentecost (2:41), 5000 men (4:4); the eunuch (8:35-38); Saul (9:3-18); Sergius Paulus (13:7-12); at Antioch (13:43); Lydia (16:14,15); Philippian jailer (16:27-34); Berea and Thessalonica (17:4,12); Athens (17:34); Crispus (18:8); and at Ephesus (19:18). "It would be impossible to build a consistent doctrine about the Holy Spirit from Acts. This is why the epistles were written — to give us doctrine. No apostolic sermon contains an appeal to be baptized with the Spirit" — J.R.W. Stott.
The epistles clearly teach that the purpose of Spirit baptism is to bring us into the body of Christ — Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:26,27; Ephesians 4:5 (one baptism); Colossians 2:12; I Corinthians 12:13 (12:14-26 point out that not all speak in tongues).
So how do charismatics deal with the apostolic teaching that Spirit baptism occurs at the moment of conversion, brings us into the body of Christ, and is not accompanied with tongues? They deal with it by teaching that there are actually two Spirit baptisms in the New Testament. This view holds that the first baptism, called the baptism of repentance, happens to all believers and brings them into the body of Christ. The second baptism is the baptism with the Holy Spirit or endowment with power, which is signified by tongues. The first is baptism by the Holy Spirit, the second is with the Holy Spirit. The charismatic position is that when Paul referred to tongues in I Corinthians 12-14, he was speaking to believers who had received the first baptism (by the Spirit) and were thus part of the body of Christ. As part of the body of Christ some had received the gift of speaking in tongues — but not all. Obviously then, not every believer will receive the gift of speaking in tongues. On the other hand when a Christian has received the second baptism ("with" the Holy Spirit) the evidence will be speaking in tongues as a SIGN of that experience. Therefore, according to this view, some Christians have the gift of tongues, but all Christian who have received the second baptism will evidence this fact with at least an initial experience of speaking in tongues. It is easy to see that the clear teaching of the epistles is being overturned by a poor understanding of the book of Acts. Even Acts refutes this "two-baptism" view when in 11:17 Luke declares the tongues "experiences" of chapters 2 and 10, which were signs, as gifts. Tongues, in the early church, were "sign-gifts." What they were signs of will be discussed below.
In addition, opposition to this position is found in Ephesians 4:5 which says that there is only one baptism. The distinction between "by" and "with" cannot be sustained. The same Greek preposition "en" is used both in I Corinthians 12:13 and in Acts 1:5. In I Corinthians 12:7-13 we are told that God has already given the gifts as He wills. He tells us that we do not all have the same gifts (read 12:4, 7-11, 14-18 and 28-31). In all of the New Testament only I Corinthians 12:13 explains the purpose of the baptism of the Spirit, which is to bring us into the body (church) of Christ. To claim that its purpose is to give us power from God, and is evidenced by speaking in tongues, is without biblical basis.
The Purpose of Biblical Tongues
Most New Testament scholars agree that tongues in the New Testament were foreign languages — not incoherent gibberish. Acts 2:4-8 is the only passage in the New Testament that sheds light on the nature of tongues. At that event those who heard tongues spoken by the apostles were able to understand them in their own language. The apostles apparently spoke in languages they did not understand — but they spoke in known languages, understandable to the listeners.
Why did God use tongues in the early church? Much debate has taken place over this question. The major theories are presented in the following few paragraphs, with a short commentary following each theory:
The First Theory — Church Edification
The idea is that the gift of tongues was and is given for the edifying of other believers. However, the whole purpose of I Corinthians 14:1-19 is to emphasize that tongues were worthless for this purpose.
The Second Theory — Evangelization
At Pentecost it was Peter’s gospel message — not tongues — that brought people to Christ. With Cornelius (Acts 10) it was new Christians who spoke in tongues and no unsaved people were present. At Ephesus there was no indication that any unsaved people were present when tongues were spoken (Acts 19:6). Tongues at Corinth were clearly not evangelistic. In fact, Paul remarked that unbelievers observing them would likely be repelled, just as they were at Pentecost (I Corinthians 14:23 and Acts 2:13).
The Third Theory — Proof of Spirit Baptism
In the New Testament many believers are said to be filled with the Holy Spirit, with no mention of speaking in tongues. Spiritual baptism always has reference to our baptism into Christ. The difference between baptism and filling is found in Ephesians 5:18. We are commanded to be filled, therefore it is not universal among Christians, whereas baptism is.
The Fourth Theory — Devotional
Paul said that he would rather pray and sing with the Spirit and the mind than with just the Spirit alone (I Corinthians 14:14-15). The purpose of tongues is as a sign (Mark 16:17), not for personal spiritual growth.
The Fifth Theory — Condemnation
According to I Corinthians 14:21, which quotes Isaiah 28:11,12, tongues were a sign to the nation of Israel that God was bringing judgment upon them for their sinfulness and rejection of Christ.
The Sixth Theory — Apostolic Authentication
Since, on the testimony of Jesus, tongues were a sign, it remains only to determine what they were a sign of (Mark 16:17). In II Corinthians 12:11-13 Paul appeals to signs and wonders as the proofs of the apostolic office. If that is what they were, then that is their purpose. No unusual manifestation of the Spirit’s presence (no sign) ever occurred except in the presence of an apostle or by those who had been directly ministered to by an apostle.
I believe that a combination of these final two theories ring true.
Tongues, as a sign gift, point out two things: the judgment of Israel, and in a secondary sense, to the authority of the apostles.
Support for the Apostolic Authentication Theory
There are five facts that show the distinctive character of the apostolic office:
The church was founded upon them (Ephesians 2:20).
They were eyewitnesses of Christ’s resurrection (Acts 1:22 and I Corinthians 15:7-9).
They were special authorized agents (Luke 6:13).
The fact of their appointment was authenticated by signs. The absence of miracles would invalidate the claim of one who asserted that he was an apostle (II Corinthians 12:12 and Acts 5:11-13).
The fact of their apostolic authority (II Peter 3:2, 15-16; I Corinthians 4:12 and II Thessalonians 3:6,14).
Tongues as a sign
Mark 16:17-20 — While the canonical authority of this text is questionable, we nevertheless find that signs were to be manifested by the apostles and by those to whom they ministered. In verse 20 Mark already (by AD 68) considered these signs past.
Acts 2:14-21; 4:3 — Only the apostles spoke in tongues or performed signs on these occasions.
Acts 8:13 — Philip was not an apostle but had the apostles’ "hands" laid upon him (6:6). However, his converts performed no signs or wonders. Only when apostles came from Jerusalem and laid hands upon Philip’s converts was there any unusual demonstration of the Spirit’s presence in them (8:15-17).
Note: Acts records new groups (Jews, Samaritans, Gentiles and Old Testament believers) in the initial act of receiving the Holy Spirit which would later be the mark of all Christians (Romans 8:9).
Acts 10 — God employed a series of supernatural visions in order to have Peter be the one to present the Gospel to Cornelius.
Acts 19 — 19:2 should be translated, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" These men were not yet converted. In 19:6 tongues came to authenticate Paul as an apostle.
II Corinthians 12:12 — Some at Corinth who had been converted under Paul received the gift of tongues to validate Paul’s claim to apostleship.
All signs are temporary
Jesus predicted signs only in association with the apostolic ministry. Mark considered the signs as past (AD 68). Hebrews 2:3-4 was written around the same time and also considered the signs as past.
The last recorded miracles in the New Testament took place about AD 58 (Acts 28:3-9). In AD 60 Epaphroditus became sick but he was not healed miraculously (Philippians 2:25-30). About AD 62 Timothy had a stomach ailment which remained uncured (I Timothy 5:23). Around AD 64 one of Paul’s associates was so seriously ill that Paul had to leave him behind, uncured (II Timothy 4:20). Yet earlier Paul had been instrumental even in restoring life to the dead.
Some gifts were temporary
All signs may be considered as spiritual gifts, but not all spiritual gifts were signs. The gifts of miracles, healings and tongues were sign gifts. All the sign gifts were temporary (compare Acts 11:17 with Mark 16). As with the miracles of Jesus, they served to authenticate the position and authority of the apostles.
Support for the Judgment Upon Israel Theory
The argument runs as follows: God had warned Israel on several occasions (Isaiah 28:11,12; 33:19; Deuteronomy 28:49,50; Jeremiah 5:15) that when they found themselves invaded and surrounded by those speaking in languages they did not understand, it was a sign to them that they were being judged by God for their disobedience. When, at Pentecost and in the early years of the church, tongues were spoken in the presence of Jews, it would be a sign to them that judgment was coming because of their rejection of the Messiah. That judgment came with the destruction of Jerusalem, the temple and the scattering of the Jewish people in AD 70. At that point the purpose of tongues (as a sign to disobedient Israel) had been fulfilled and therefore tongues ceased. This, I believe, was the primary purpose for tongues.
Tongues Have Ceased
Biblical Evidence

I Corinthians 13:8-10 "Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part, and we prophecy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away."
This passage was written around AD 55, and clearly states that tongues shall cease. The question is when? The answer to that question is often seen as hinging on the meaning of the word "perfect" in the text.

What is that which is perfect? Here are three views:
The Rapture (a view often held by tongue speakers)
However, the term "that which is perfect" cannot refer to the Lord because of the neuter articles. It can be translated "when the perfect thing arrives." This view also contradicts other Scripture which states that there will be prophecy after the rapture — during the Tribulation (Revelation 11:3-13) and during the Millennial Age (Joel 2:28).
The Canon
Not even the New Testament allows us to know fully, there is much that we still do not know.
The Eternal State
This is when we will see face to face, and is the best understanding of "perfect." The passage is therefore teaching that both prophecy and supernatural knowledge will cease forever at the point when God ushers in the eternal state. But carefully notice that tongues are not named among those gifts which are said to be made inoperative by the arrival of the perfect. Therefore, tongues could cease prior to this event. With prophecy and knowledge the verb "shall cease," meaning "to lay aside" or "render inoperative" is used. With tongues a different verb is used meaning "to stop" or "they will be done away" It carries with it the idea of a natural cessation.
It is also important to note the voice changes: "will be done away," is in the passive voice, meaning that they will be forced to stop by an outside agent (i.e. that which is perfect). However, "cease" is in the middle voice, which allows for the possibility that, they could cease in and of themselves, naturally when their purpose is fulfilled.
This passage of Scripture does not give definitive evidence that tongues have ceased and are no longer operative today — but it allows for such a view. Paul implies that tongues will cease when their purpose is fulfilled. If, as demonstrated above, the purpose of tongues was to authenticate the apostles and their message, and to serve as a sign to Israel of judgment for rejecting their Messiah, then tongues have fulfilled their purpose. Phrased another way, since there are no longer apostles to authenticate, and since Israel has already been judged (in AD 70), tongues no longer have a purpose in the church today. Tongues cessation should then be expected with the passing of the apostles and the judgment of Israel. Both the testimonies of Scripture and of church history verify this fact. There is no record of anyone speaking in tongues in the New Testament after AD 70. What is the record of church history?
Church History Evidence
Apostolic Fathers

It is significant that the gift of tongues is rarely alluded to, hinted at, or found in the Apostolic Fathers. The Fathers wrote to defend Christianity, to correct Christians, to explain doctrines, etc. after the death of the apostles. Yet they did not mention tongues in a favorable light, and for the most part totally ignored them.
Some examples:
Justin Martyr (AD 100-165) wrote about spiritual gifts but did not mention tongues. He never mentions anyone speaking in tongues.
Montanus (AD 126-180) did speak in tongues, but was regarded as demon-possessed by Christians of his day (refer to the section "History of Tongues," Think on These Things, Vol. 5, Issue 3).
Irenaeus (AD 140-203) said he had heard that some spoke in tongues. He had, however, been influenced by the Montanists and did not speak in tongues nor apparently witness it.
Tertulian (AD 150-222) was converted to Montanism for a period of time. He wrote about one lady who spoke in tongues and was a Montanist. This was the last witness to tongues-speaking by any of the Church Fathers.
Origen (AD 185-253) said that in his day no one spoke in tongues.
Chrysostom (AD 347-407) made no mention of tongues being spoken in his day.
Augustine (AD 354-430) no tongues spoken during his life.
Church history does not prove any doctrinal issues. However, in this case church history verifies what we would expect from a study of the New Testament: That tongues, having fulfilled their purpose, ceased to exist by AD 70, and were not found in the history of the church.



Doctrinal Distinctives of the Charismatic Movement - Part 2(September 1999 - Volume 5, Issue 9)
If, as was demonstrated in our last paper, the gift of tongues has fulfilled the purpose for which it was designed, and therefore has ceased, what is going on today? That is, how do we explain the present day phenomenon of speaking in tongues, if the Holy Spirit is no longer bestowing this gift upon people. What is the origin of speaking in tongues in the modern church?
Certainly there is more than one origin. Tongues can be demonic, as is demonstrated by documented tongues-speaking in pagan religions. Tongues can be faked for the purpose of peer-approval. After all, if you attend a church which teaches that speaking in tongues is a sign of spiritual maturity, the pressure to conform could be enormous.
My personal opinion is that the majority of tongues-speaking in the modern church is a learned response. In other words, people are being taught, either directly or indirectly, how to speak in tongues. Let’s take a look at this theory.
Characteristics of the Modern Movement
The nature of tongues: Clearly, tongues in the New Testament were languages, understandable by those who knew the language being spoken. This is not the case today. Linguists have described modern tongues as a form of ecstatic speech, similar to that which occurs all over the world in many religious practices. Interestingly, the first Pentecostals believed they were speaking in foreign languages for the purpose of propagating the gospel on the mission field. Some early Pentecostals even rushed to foreign countries without any language training, and began preaching the gospel, trusting that the listeners understood them. When it became obvious that they were not understood, these zealous missionaries had to come home and revise their understanding of this phenomenon (see Christian History Magazine, "The Rise of Pentecostalism," Vol. XVII, page 2).
The absence of spontaneity: Contrary to the spontaneous and surprising reception of tongues in the book of Acts, modern day promoters of tongues present formulas and instructions designed to teach people how to speak in tongues. Usually these instructions include a prescription to begin by making sounds of some kind, such as by repetition of a phrase.
Charismatics present speaking in tongues as an act of faith. It is something which you must knowingly begin, and trust that God will continue. Larry Christenson, a Lutheran minister, said:
In order to speak in tongues, you have to quit praying in English . . . You simply lapse into silence and resolve to speak not a syllable of any language you have ever learned. Your thoughts are focused on Christ, and then you simply lift up your voice and speak out confidently, in faith that the Lord will take the sound you give Him and shape it into a language. You take no thought of what you are saying. As far as you are concerned it is just a series of sounds. The first sounds will sound strange and unnatural to your ear, and they may be halting and inarticulate (have you ever heard a baby learning to talk?) — (quoted by Robert Gromacki, p. 41, in The Modern Tongues Movement)
Harold Bredesen gave these instructions to tongues seekers at Yale:
1. Think visually and concretely, rather than abstractly: for example, try to visualize Jesus as a person.
2. Consciously yield your voices and organs of speech to the Holy Spirit.
3. Repeat certain elementary sounds, such as ‘bah-bah-bah,’ or something similar. Bredesen then laid his hands on the hand of each seeker, prayed for him, and the seeker did actually speak in tongues (quoted by Gromacki, p. 42).
John Kildahl, in an interesting book entitled The Psychology of Speaking in Tongues, explains it this way:
When I hypnotize someone, I begin by saying "lie back . . . Shut your eyes . . . Relax . . . Breathe deeply . . . And listen to the sounds of your breathing as you relax, you can feel yourself getting tired and drowsy.’ A sample of a tongues leader teaching someone to speak in tongues is, "The Lord is in your presence . . . He is with you now . . . Open yourself to Him . . . Let all your anxieties flow out of you . . . The Lord wants to give you the gift of His Holy Spirit . . . Open your mouth, and He will give you utterance." The hypnotist has essentially a two-pronged strategy: that of sensory deprivation and of developing a special kind of relationship, in other words, a relationship of dependence and trust (p. 37).
Disillusionment: Christenson cites two universal temptations in regards to tongues. One is artificiality — the temptation to think, "I am just making this up." He says to repel this temptation with all vigor. The second temptation is ineffectuality — when the enthusiasm of tongues has dimmed, a person may begin to neglect or cease to use tongues. Christenson says that every gift of God involves stewardship and therefore one must resolve to use it all the rest of his life. This amounts to saying that the "gift" which was sought and begun by artificial means, must be continued at all costs, even when common sense says it is a hollow mockery.
Kildahl claims that when tongues are an important life goal there is always a relationship to a leader or a group which conveys a feeling of acceptance and belonging. If confidence is lost in the authority figure then quite often the person will stop speaking in tongues. Kildahl, in his studies, said he "found no tongue-speaker who was unrelated to a glossolalia authority figure whom he esteemed. Those who had spoken in tongues but were now indifferent to it in this research had in each case had a falling out with the leader of the tongue-speaking group" (p. 53).
The Modern Gift of Interpretation: If tongues-speaking is problematic, the interpretation of tongues is more so. While tongues can be faked, or explained as a heavenly language, interpretations are not so easily handled. The interpretation of tongues is the supernatural ability to understand and interpret a message in tongues for the benefit and edification of the body of Christ (I Corinthians 14:5-19). The progression should be: God gives a message in tongues to Joe who speaks that message at a church service, but doesn’t understand it. Sally is then given the ability to understand what Joe has said and relays it to the church. It is at this point that the modern gift of tongues breaks down most dramatically. A number of studies have been done that are anything but supportive of the charismatic position. Tongues speaking has been recorded and then played back to those claiming the gift of interpretation. In every experiment of this nature of which I am aware, these recorded messages have been interpreted differently by each interpreter. In one instance, John 3:3 was recited in the German language, but the interpreter claimed that Acts 19:2 had been recited in French. Another time Psalm 23 was recited in Hebrew but the interpretation had nothing to do with Psalm 23. Sometimes the interpretation contradicts the clear teaching of the Lord. Interpretation has always been found wanting (see the Handbook on Tongues, pages 80,95).
Kildahl and his researchers taped several people speaking in tongues for interpreters:
In no instance was there any similarity in the several interpretations . . .When confronted with the disparity between their interpretations, the interpreters offered the explanation that God gave to one person one interpretation of the speech and to another person another interpretation (p. 73).
Such studies poke gaping holes in views held by charismatics and reveal tongues for what they are — a learned response, not a supernatural gift from the Holy Spirit.
Natural Explanations
Kildahl offers the following possible explanations for the modern tongue movement:
A motor automatism — Some tongues are the result of a trance-like condition.
Ecstasy — Some tongues result from a strong and unusual emotional excitement.
Hypnosis — Due to repeated suggestions as to what is expected of one and the repeated appeals to yield oneself to the "power," many writers have concluded that hypnotism is frequently involved in causing tongues.
Psychic catharsis — In his research Kildahl found that anxiety was a prerequisite for developing the ability to speak in tongues. Additionally, persons with a low level of emotional stability tended to be extreme in their affirmation of the benefits of glossolalia.
Kildahl, page 40:
Research proved that glossolalists are more submissive, suggestible and dependent in the presence of authority figures than non-tongue-speakers. This was important because one has to follow a leader’s suggestions to be hypnotized. Research also proved that tongue speakers think about some benevolent authority person when they began to speak in tongues.
Kildahl, page 54:
Hypnotizability requires that the subject be trusting enough to turn himself over to someone else and place his destiny in his hands. If one can be hypnotized, then one is able under proper conditions to learn to speak in tongues.
Kildahl, page 74:
It is our definite opinion that those who have the necessary psychological characteristics can learn to speak in tongues. This gives rise to the question, "If it is truly a gift of the Holy Spirit, why must it be demonstrated and taught?" I have observed the same routine everywhere I have been:
1) A meeting devoted to intense concentration on tongue speaking, followed by
2) an atmosphere of heightened suggestibility to the words of the tongue speaker leader, after which
3) the initiate is able to make the sounds he is instructed to make. It is the same procedure that a competent hypnotist employs. I have reached the conclusion that tongue speaking is a learned phenomenon.
Other Matters
Why the present interest in tongues?
In our society there is an unsatisfied longing for a genuine religious expression in the midst of the pressures of a secularized society. People are longing for an authentic relationship with God, but they are not as interested in knowing God in truth. If spiritual maturity can be attained attending emotionally charged meetings and receiving instantaneous supernatural experiences that deliver spirituality, why do the hard work of Scripture study, memorization, prayer and walking by the Spirit? The charismatic movement has offered a shortcut to godliness. That this shortcut is really a detour leading people to a dead end, is often not recognized until one has traveled far down this detour and has come face to face with disillusionment. By then many have hopelessly lost their way and know of no scriptural compass to guide them safely back to the path of truth.
"Forbid not to speak in tongues" (I Corinthians 14:39).
Charismatics will often throw the above words in the face of one who disagrees with their view on tongues. But it must be remembered that these words were written in AD 55 to a group of people who had received this gift from the Holy Spirit to authenticate the apostleship of Paul, and to warn Israel that judgment was coming for their rejection of the Messiah. The Holy Spirit had not yet ceased giving the gift. The purpose for the gift was still alive and well, (see Part I).
The Affects of Charismatic Doctrine Upon Other Areas of Theology
So what? Why not live and let live, after all, what harm does the charismatics’ views cause? Why not just leave them alone? These are good questions. If all we are doing is nitpicking over the fine points of Christianity, then we should indeed back off. But charismatic doctrine undermines the teachings of Scripture and authentic Christian living. Below we will briefly outline how the teachings of the charismatics taints, to some degree, every doctrine found in the Word of God. The following are some examples:
Theology in General
Those who teach charismatic doctrines tend to downplay theology. John Wimber said, "When are we going to see a generation who doesn’t try to understand this book (the Bible), but just believes it?"
Charismatic doctrine places experience above truth of Scripture. Jack Deere said, "The idea that fallen humanity, can arrive at pure biblical objectivity in determining all their practices and beliefs is an illusion" (Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, p. 46). His solution? Experience and modern prophecies. (Read his book)
Both Paul Cain and John Wimber are credited with coining the phrase, "God will offend your mind to reveal your heart" (The Father’s Blessing, p. 182). This is a reference to the charismatic view that the Holy Spirit will often do an end run around our rational thinking ability, including the understanding of Scripture, to reveal truth to us. John Arnott teaches, "Do not take control, do not resist, do not analyze; just surrender to His love. You can analyze the experience later; just let it happen" (ibid. p. 127). This is a sure recipe for disaster.
Bibliology
There are several concerns here:
Charismatic doctrines undermine the authority of Scripture.
Take, for example, a quote from this charismatic author:
Ultimately this doctrine (the sufficiency of Scripture) is demonic even (though) Christian theologians have been used to perfect it (Spiritual Warfare, page 11, Thompson).
They believe in extrabiblical revelation.
Today, after years of practical experiences and intense study on the subject of God’s speaking, I am convinced that God does indeed speak apart from the Bible, though never in contradiction to it. And He speaks to all of His children, not just to specially gifted prophetic people. And He will speak to us all in amazing detail (Surprised by the Power of the Spirit, by Jack Deere, p. 214).
This is the error of all cults as well as the Roman Catholic Church. If God is still giving revelation today, how are we to discern when God is speaking and when He is not? The charismatics tell us that as long as the revelation does not contradict Scripture, then we can be assured that it is from God. However, that leaves the door wide open for every kind of error. For example, the Roman Catholic Church’s doctrines of purgatory, the doctrines concerning Mary, while they may contradict Scripture, for the most part simply add to the divine revelation. The Mormon’s view that the Book of Mormon is the story of the gospel coming to America is the same type of error.
It is also their belief that prophets today make mistakes.
Anyone who has experience in helping to nurture "baby prophets" realizes that they have difficulty in distinguishing the words that the Spirit speaks from those that come from their own hearts or even from evil sources. At first they make many mistakes (Some Said It Thundered, page XIV). Prophets are,
of course, human beings. As such, they can make mistakes and lie. They need not cease to be prophets for their mistakes and failings (ibid., page XVI).
As can be seen from these quotes the charismatic view of revelation would throw the believer into a sea of subjectivity. God considered the authenticity of His Word as so important that He required the death penalty for Old Testament prophets whose prophecies did not come true (Deuteronomy 18:20). How do we discern which prophet is right and which has made a mistake? When do we know that a prophet has spoken truthfully or has lied? Are we at the mercy of fresh revelation or can we still go to the Scriptures to find, "Thus says the Lord"? While charismatics give lip service to the authority of Scripture, in practice their "words of knowledge," prophetic revelations, and messages in tongues reign supreme. Thus the undermining of the Word of God is perhaps the greatest error that charismatics have fostered among God’s people.
Soteriology
There are many gospel messages among charismatics since charismatics are found in every type of denomination and church background. Even in denominations such as the Vineyard Church, the gospel often takes such a backseat to the "gifts and phenomenon of the Spirit" that the content of the gospel is muted at best. For example, in John Wimber’s book on evangelism, Power Evangelism, he never once discusses what the gospel is. The book is devoted instead to what Wimber believes to be the only authentic New Testament evangelism, something he calls "power evangelism." In Wimber’s mind "proclamation evangelism," in which a person is shown from Scripture the message of salvation, just won’t work. To win substantial numbers of people to Christ one must first soften them up by performing some miracle, or by giving a "word of knowledge." Not only does power evangelism miss the boat scripturally, it also serves to confuse the unsaved. The emphasis is upon signs and wonders rather than Christ. Some are being attracted to the show rather than the cross.
Ecclesiology
Many within charismatic circles hold to some form of dominion theology, which confuses the church with Israel, and teaches that we are looking for a latter day revival that will sweep multitudes into the kingdom and transform society before the return of Christ.
In addition, the majority of charismatics are highly, and unbiblically, ecumenical. Many are actively pursuing reunification with the Roman Catholic Church and some even consider the Pope to be an evangelical Christian.
The purpose of the church is often distorted as they concentrate on the showy gifts (miracles, tongues, prophecies) rather than the balanced functioning of the body.
Eschatology
Some charismatics are not looking for the return of Christ, but for the "latter rain" in which they believe there will be a special outpouring of the Spirit that restores the supernatural gifts to the church and bring a great revival. They do not believe that Christ can return until the world is prepared for Him by the "latter rain."
Earl Paulk says that the pretribulational rapture position is a "heresy" inspired by Satan to rock the church to sleep. His view is not based upon a thorough study of Scripture, but on a supposedly new revelation from God (Biblical Perspectives, Vol. 4, #4, page 6).
Pneumatology
Many believe in a second work of grace often called the "baptism of the Holy Spirit" (see Part I). This baptism gives the believer special powers and gifts. Others, such as the Vineyard Movement, would not agree with the term "baptism of the Holy Spirit," but teach essentially the same thing. They say the evidence of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives is powers, signs and wonders.
Angelology/Demonology
Angels, demons, and "spiritual warfare" are popular today in charismatic circles. Based upon experience, rather than Scripture, a whole new theology has been developed concerning angels and demons that completely misrepresents the teachings of the Word. See our paper on "Spiritual Warfare" for a better understanding of this subject.
So the charismatic movement is not just a harmless segment within evangelical christianity, but a devastating error that undermines many of the cardinal truths of the Word of God.

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?


Free Hit Counter