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2 episodes with him eph
2 episodes with him eph
2 episodes with him eph
2 episodes with him eph
2 episodes with him eph
Pastor Jeremy | BFBC-Glendive | Sunday How you honor/welcome/treat the presence of God will directly influence your quality of life. ● Obed-Edom's house vs Philistines ● King Asa beginning of reign vs end of reign ● David vs Saul's Daughter Direction - Protection - Provision - Peace - Power -Victory Communion: John 6:43-69 ● Jesus talks of being the “Bread of Life”, he says your fathers ate manna in the wilderness and are now dead. Those who partake of the bread of life will live forever. ● The religious folks question how Jesus can give them His flesh to eat. ● Jesus doubles down and responds to their resistance with “Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood there is no life in you” ● Jesus can tell the people and disciples are questioning these statements and he says “Does this offend you???” ● John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. ● John 6:66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Arm Wrestle - More important to know the strongest guy in the room than it is to be the strongest guy in the room. John 6:56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. The Body: Is 53:4 Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. a. bore our grief b. carried our sorrows c. wounded for our transgressions d. bruised for our iniquities e. bore our sins (1 Peter 2:24) f. provides peace g. provided healing h. eternal life (John 6:51) The Blood: Eph 2:12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. a. Remission of sin (Matt 26:28) b. Purchased the Church (Acts 20:28) c. Justifies us (Rom 5:9) d. Cleanses us (1 John 1:7) e. Redeems us (1 Peter 1:18&19) f. Brings us near to Him (Eph 2:13) g. Speaks (Heb 12:24) h. Sanctifies (Heb 13:12) i. Makes us overcomers (Rev. 12:20) All these things are wonderful on their own, but essentially they are all byproducts of what is really powerful and that is you having a relationship with God. The Name of Jesus, the believer's authority, Mark 16:17, these are all products of having that same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead living on the inside of you because you have a relationship with God. 1 Cor 11:23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.
1:12 Qualified: To receive an inheritance in heaven through Jesus' work on the cross If Jesus had not died for our sins we would only receive wrath Of course, the one blessing that ought to move us constantly to thanksgiving is that God has made us fit to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light” (Col. 1:12). The word fit means “qualified”: God has qualified us for heaven! And, while we are waiting for Christ to return, we enjoy our share of the spiritual inheritance that we have in Him (Eph. 1:11, 18–23). In the Old Testament, God's people had an earthly inheritance, the land of Canaan. Christians today have a spiritual inheritance in Christ. Canaan is not a picture of heaven, for there will be no battles or defeats in heaven. Canaan is a picture of our present inheritance in Christ. We must claim our inheritance by faith as we step out on the promises of God (Josh. 1:1–9). Day by day, we claim our blessings; and this makes us even more thankful to the Lord. As we review this marvelous prayer, we can see how penetrating it is. We need spiritual intelligence if we are going to live to please God. We also need practical obedience in our walk and work. But the result of all of this must be spiritual power in the inner man, power that leads to joyful patience and long-suffering, with thanksgiving. Have you been praying this way lately?[1] Light: Refers to the Kingdom of God Christ Is the Saviour (Col. 1:13–14) Col 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, Man's greatest problem is sin—a problem that can never be solved by a philosopher or a religious teacher. Sinners need a Saviour. These two verses present a vivid picture of the four saving actions of Christ on our behalf. 1:13 Delivered: This word in the original language Greek meant to draw to oneself or to rescue Jesus rescued us from Satan's kingdom and Hell He delivered us (v. 13a). This word means “rescued from danger.” We could not deliver ourselves from the guilt and penalty of sin, but Jesus could and did deliver us. We were in danger of spending eternity apart from God. The sword of God's judgment was hanging over our heads! But this deliverance involved something else: we were delivered from the authority of Satan and the powers of darkness. The gnostic false teachers believed in an organization of evil spirits that controlled the world (see Col. 1:16; 2:10, 15): angels, archangels, principalities, powers, virtues, dominions, and thrones. John[1] He transferred us (v. 13b). This word was used to describe the deportation of a population from one country into another.[1] Jesus Christ did not release us from bondage, only to have us wander aimlessly. He moved us into His own kingdom of light and made us victors over Satan's kingdom of darkness. Earthly rulers transported the defeated people, but Jesus Christ transported the winners. The phrase His dear Son can be translated “the Son of His love.” At the baptism and transfiguration of Jesus Christ, the Father declared that Jesus was His “beloved Son” (Matt. 3:17; 17:5). This fact reminds us of the price the Father paid when He gave His Son for us. It also reminds us that His kingdom is a kingdom of love as well as a kingdom of light. The experience of Israel in the Old Testament is an illustration of this spiritual experience; for God delivered them from the bondage of Egypt and took them into the Promised Land of their inheritance. God brings us out that He might bring us in. Kingdom: This is our current Kingdom of salvation and eternal Spiritual relationship with God Son of His Love: This Kingdom is given to His Son Jesus as an expression of Love. He is the beloved Son whom He loves V14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. 1:14 Redemption: This word in the original Greek meant to deliver by payment of ransom It was used in reference to freeing slaves from bondage. Believers have been delivered from the bondage of sin Through His Blood: Christ was a blood sacrifice like the OT lambs. John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming unto him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world! He redeemed us (v. 14a). This word means “to release a prisoner by the payment of a ransom.” Paul did not suggest that Jesus paid a ransom to Satan in order to rescue us from the kingdom of darkness. By His death and resurrection, Jesus met the holy demands of God's Law. Satan seeks to accuse us and imprison us because he knows we are guilty of breaking God's Law. But the ransom has been paid on Calvary, and through faith in Jesus Christ, we have been set free. He has forgiven us (v. 14b). Redemption and forgiveness go together (Eph. 1:7). The word translated forgiveness means “to send away” or “to cancel a debt.” Christ has not only set us free and transferred us to a new kingdom, but He has canceled every debt so that we cannot be enslaved again. Satan cannot find anything in the files that will indict us! Forgiveness of Sins: We have been given a pardon from the penalty of sin. To pardon is to remove the penalty without having deserved forgiveness In recent years, the church has rediscovered the freedom of forgiveness. God's forgiveness of sinners is an act of His grace. We did not deserve to be forgiven, nor can we earn forgiveness. Knowing that we are forgiven makes it possible for us to fellowship with God, enjoy His grace, and seek to do His will. Forgiveness is not an excuse for sin; rather, it is an encouragement for obedience. And, because we have been forgiven, we can forgive others (Col. 3:13). The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant makes it clear that an unforgiving spirit always leads to bondage (Matt. 18:21–35). Jesus Christ is preeminent in salvation. No other person could redeem us, forgive us, transfer us out of Satan's kingdom into God's kingdom, and do it wholly by grace. The phrase, “through His blood,” reminds us of the cost of our salvation. Moses and the Israelites only had to shed the blood of a lamb to be delivered from Egypt. But Jesus had to shed His blood to deliver us from sin.[1] Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32 Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don't go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
We see how Psalm 8 is fulfilled by Messiah & His people from Hebrews 1-2, an exposition of Ps 8. Heb 1 proves Christ is exalted above the angels, not just from the standpoint of His Deity, but also from His exalted human nature, as a resurrected, glorified Man, the first begotten from the dead, seated on God's Throne above all angels. Then in Heb 2:5-11, it expounds Ps 8, declaring how God is fulfilling it through Jesus. In 2:7, it follows the Septuagint in translating Ps 8:5 as: "You have made him a little lower than the angels", rather than: "a little lower than God." Whereas the latter correctly reflects God's original plan for man, the former correctly describes the situation resulting from the Fall, when the 1st Adam submitted himself & the human race to a fallen angel, so it came under the dominion of darkness (Luke 4:6). Thus both translations are valid in their own way. To rescue us from sin & satan and restore us to our ordained exalted state, Jesus, for a little while, was made a little lower than the angels, by taking a human nature on Himself, to identify with us for the suffering of death (Heb 2:9), to bear our sins & death in our place, so we might be redeemed. Then in His resurrection & ascension, as the 2nd Adam, He was crowned with glory & honour, so now God has exalted Him to the highest place and given Him the Name above every name (Phil 2:9-11), and has put all things under His feet (Eph 1:19-22, 1Cor 15:27), in fulfilment of Ps 8:6. Thus Heb 2:9 shows how Ps 8:4-6 has now been fulfilled in the 2nd Adam. As a glorified Man He is now exalted above the angels. Heb 2 also points out He did all this as the Pioneer of our Salvation, to bring many sons to glory with Him (v10). Those who receive Christ as Lord and Saviour are put in Him, and thru this union, they become born again sons of God, His brethren, from the same womb (v11-18), so He is the firstborn among many brethren (Rom 8:29), and their spirits are raised & exalted with Him (Eph 1:19-23, 2:5-6). So in Him, our representative Head, redeemed man is already positionally above the angels (also Heb 1:14). Thus He's already accomplished the 1st stage of the fulfilment of Ps 8. But the complete fulfilment requires all things in creation, including angels, to be put under the feet of redeemed man in Christ as Heb 2:5-8 points out, which concludes by saying: "But now we do not yet see all things put under him (man). But we see Jesus..." Thus although Jesus our Pioneer & Head has received the full manifestation of glory & honour, the whole creation still eagerly awaits the full manifestation of the sons of God at the 2nd Coming (Rom 8:18-19), when all saints of every age will be crowned with glory & honour in their new bodies, and will rule & reign with Christ forever. Then Christ, having brought many sons to a state of glory, with all redeemed men crowned with glory, with all things under our feet, will have brought Ps 8 to fulfilment. No wonder it ends as it starts: "O Lord, our Lord, How excellent (majestic) is Your Name in all the earth!" (v1,9). This expresses its main theme. God began by manifesting His majestic Name (His nature & glory) in the earth thru His Creation, and then by Christ's Coming to earth to redeem us, before being exalted above the heavens in glory, and then finally by returning to manifest His Name to the whole earth. His glory will also shine thru us, His brethren, the manifested sons of God, made in His image to glorify Him by reflecting His glory. So although the 1st Adam fell, bringing the initial Theocratic Kingdom to an end (God ruling the world thru man), through Christ, the 2nd Adam, at His 2nd Coming, God will again establish His Theocratic Kingdom on earth for 1000 years, fulfilling His original plan. The earth will be regenerated to what it was like before the Fall (Matt 19:28). At this time, the Kingdom will be restored to Israel, as chief nation (Acts 1:6), and her Land made like the original Eden, with the Mount of the Lord towering above all others, from which Christ will reign over all the earth. These are the Times of Restoration of all things - restoration to what it was like before the Fall (Acts 3:21). The animal kingdom will come into peace under man's dominion (Isa 11:6, 65:25), and curse (sickness) will be removed. He will reign over a Kingdom of righteousness, peace, joy and abundance. The knowledge of His glory will cover the earth (Hab 2:14), and God will be glorified among the nations. Thus Ps 8 does not just describe God's original plan in Genesis to establish His Kingdom on earth through man (spoilt by the Fall), but it also declares God will ultimately accomplish His plan for man to reign on earth, through Messiah, the 2nd Adam, in the Millennium (Rev 20). At this time, He will reign as King of kings, and under Him, redeemed & glorified humanity will reign with Him as His kings, ruling over the people of the earth, who will still be living in their natural bodies.
We see how Psalm 8 is fulfilled by Messiah & His people from Hebrews 1-2, an exposition of Ps 8. Heb 1 proves Christ is exalted above the angels, not just from the standpoint of His Deity, but also from His exalted human nature, as a resurrected, glorified Man, the first begotten from the dead, seated on God's Throne above all angels. Then in Heb 2:5-11, it expounds Ps 8, declaring how God is fulfilling it through Jesus. In 2:7, it follows the Septuagint in translating Ps 8:5 as: "You have made him a little lower than the angels", rather than: "a little lower than God." Whereas the latter correctly reflects God's original plan for man, the former correctly describes the situation resulting from the Fall, when the 1st Adam submitted himself & the human race to a fallen angel, so it came under the dominion of darkness (Luke 4:6). Thus both translations are valid in their own way. To rescue us from sin & satan and restore us to our ordained exalted state, Jesus, for a little while, was made a little lower than the angels, by taking a human nature on Himself, to identify with us for the suffering of death (Heb 2:9), to bear our sins & death in our place, so we might be redeemed. Then in His resurrection & ascension, as the 2nd Adam, He was crowned with glory & honour, so now God has exalted Him to the highest place and given Him the Name above every name (Phil 2:9-11), and has put all things under His feet (Eph 1:19-22, 1Cor 15:27), in fulfilment of Ps 8:6. Thus Heb 2:9 shows how Ps 8:4-6 has now been fulfilled in the 2nd Adam. As a glorified Man He is now exalted above the angels. Heb 2 also points out He did all this as the Pioneer of our Salvation, to bring many sons to glory with Him (v10). Those who receive Christ as Lord and Saviour are put in Him, and thru this union, they become born again sons of God, His brethren, from the same womb (v11-18), so He is the firstborn among many brethren (Rom 8:29), and their spirits are raised & exalted with Him (Eph 1:19-23, 2:5-6). So in Him, our representative Head, redeemed man is already positionally above the angels (also Heb 1:14). Thus He's already accomplished the 1st stage of the fulfilment of Ps 8. But the complete fulfilment requires all things in creation, including angels, to be put under the feet of redeemed man in Christ as Heb 2:5-8 points out, which concludes by saying: "But now we do not yet see all things put under him (man). But we see Jesus..." Thus although Jesus our Pioneer & Head has received the full manifestation of glory & honour, the whole creation still eagerly awaits the full manifestation of the sons of God at the 2nd Coming (Rom 8:18-19), when all saints of every age will be crowned with glory & honour in their new bodies, and will rule & reign with Christ forever. Then Christ, having brought many sons to a state of glory, with all redeemed men crowned with glory, with all things under our feet, will have brought Ps 8 to fulfilment. No wonder it ends as it starts: "O Lord, our Lord, How excellent (majestic) is Your Name in all the earth!" (v1,9). This expresses its main theme. God began by manifesting His majestic Name (His nature & glory) in the earth thru His Creation, and then by Christ's Coming to earth to redeem us, before being exalted above the heavens in glory, and then finally by returning to manifest His Name to the whole earth. His glory will also shine thru us, His brethren, the manifested sons of God, made in His image to glorify Him by reflecting His glory. So although the 1st Adam fell, bringing the initial Theocratic Kingdom to an end (God ruling the world thru man), through Christ, the 2nd Adam, at His 2nd Coming, God will again establish His Theocratic Kingdom on earth for 1000 years, fulfilling His original plan. The earth will be regenerated to what it was like before the Fall (Matt 19:28). At this time, the Kingdom will be restored to Israel, as chief nation (Acts 1:6), and her Land made like the original Eden, with the Mount of the Lord towering above all others, from which Christ will reign over all the earth. These are the Times of Restoration of all things - restoration to what it was like before the Fall (Acts 3:21). The animal kingdom will come into peace under man's dominion (Isa 11:6, 65:25), and curse (sickness) will be removed. He will reign over a Kingdom of righteousness, peace, joy and abundance. The knowledge of His glory will cover the earth (Hab 2:14), and God will be glorified among the nations. Thus Ps 8 does not just describe God's original plan in Genesis to establish His Kingdom on earth through man (spoilt by the Fall), but it also declares God will ultimately accomplish His plan for man to reign on earth, through Messiah, the 2nd Adam, in the Millennium (Rev 20). At this time, He will reign as King of kings, and under Him, redeemed & glorified humanity will reign with Him as His kings, ruling over the people of the earth, who will still be living in their natural bodies.
On October 3, 2004, I preached my first sermon as a candidate for Northwest Baptist Churchs next Senior Pastor. Northwest was considered one of the most dysfunctional churches within the Rocky Mountain district, and although I knew this about the church, there was no way I could fully appreciate just how dysfunctional it really was. So, a very green and 30-year-old version of the pastor that stands before you today preached a sermon on boasting in the Cross of Christ before a congregation with a median age of somewhere in the 60s; my sermon text was from Galatians 6:11-18 and the title of my sermon was, Boasting in the Cross. On October 17th the congregation of Northwest Baptist Church voted to call me as their Senior Pastor. Because I was unsure about moving our family from Pennsylvania to Colorado, I needed more time to pray about it before agreeing to serve as the Senior Pastor of that little church in Denver. Earlier that day, just after the church service at Calvary Baptist Church where I was presently served on the pastoral staff, Bob and Shirley White had given me a gift for Clergy Appreciation Month. I only opened the wrapping paper so that I could thank Bob and Shirley; the gift was a book, and the title of that book was, God as He Longs for You to See Him, by Chip Ingram. I left the book in my office, which was only across the parking lot from where we lived at the time (a house we affectionately nicknamed: Little House on the Parking Lot). Because I needed time to pray, I walked across the parking lot and into my office at Calvary Baptist Church to be alone with the Lord. As I sat down, the book that Bob and Shirley White had given was there in front of my face. As I began to pray, I asked God to give me some indication as to what He wanted me to do; as I was praying, I opened Chip Ingrams book and noticed that Bob and Shirley had written a note on the inside cover: To our dear Christian brother, Keith, who has inspired us through his messages to see and know God as He really is. We love you and may God bless you, Roi Maw, and Nathan. Bob and Shirley White; October 16, 2004. Bob and Shirleys little note also served as Gods way to encourage me to say yes to Northwest Baptist Church; but also served to encourage me to say yes to Meadowbrookes call to become your pastor oddly enough, on the first week of October nearly 14 years to the day that I read Bob and Shirleys note for the first time. I am still convinced as I was twenty years ago, that the best that I can give you is the God of the Bible. I could try to cater to felt needs, but all that really ends up being is a guessing game, and besides, what would that do anyway? I am not going to look at Ephesians 2:19-22 in sequential order like I normally do with a scripture passage but will look at these verses in the order a builder would build a building. We are a Jesus Called Community When it came to the structure of a building, before anything could be built, the cornerstone had to be laid. It was the first stone laid because the dimensions and shape of the rest of the building were dependent upon the shape and size of the cornerstone. If the cornerstone was off, so the rest of the building would be off! If there was anything wrong with the cornerstone such as its dimensions, the way it was cut, or its integrity as the toughest and strongest of the stones used in the building, the structure would be compromised. In the ancient East, the cornerstone was the most expensive of all the stones used in a building because it was the most important part of the building. When it comes to the nature of the Church, Paul says that Jesus Christ is the cornerstone (v. 20b). Against the backdrop of the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, stood another temple. Only the temple Paul referred to was living, organic, and holy. Today, it is still being built and it will continue to be built with Jesus as the cornerstone until He is finished building and beatifying His Church. We, the Church, are the great wonder of all of heaven and it is concerning our salvation that we are told: angels long to look (1 Pet. 1:12). Think about who you are Church! In Jesus, we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (1:3). In Jesus, we were chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless (v. 4). Through Jesus, we have been adopted as sons and daughters (v. 5). In Jesus, we have redemption through His blood (vv. 7-8). In Jesus, we have obtained an inheritance from God that no one can destroy (v. 11). In Jesus, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit that no one can break (v. 13). We were chosen, redeemed, and sealed all to the praise of the glory of God (vv. 6, 12, 14); which means that the Ephesian Church displayed a glory even greater than the power of 300 billion suns! The prophets and the apostles, through the Scriptures, pointed to Jesus: The prophets point towards Jesus and the apostles point back to Jesus. Long before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah declared: Therefore this is what the Lord Godsays: Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a tested stone, A precious cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. The one who believes in it will not be disturbed (Isa. 28:16). Concerning Jesus, the apostle Peter wrote, And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by people, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:4-5). As the cornerstone, Jesus is Gods final and most perfect revelation of Himself: God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world (Heb. 1:1-2). As we have learned in the previous verses, it is because of Christ and through Christ that both Jew and Gentile can become one new people group through faith in Him alone. It is through Jesus that we now have access to God the Father (2:18). If you are a Christian, then Jesus is your cornerstone! Think for a moment of what that means. Jesus is the cornerstone because He is the Christ (Isa. 9:6-7). Jesus is the Christ because He is the Great I AM who is the Bread of Life (John 6:35-51), the Light of the World (8:12; 9:5), the Door for His Sheep (10:7-9), the Good Shepherd (10:11-14), the Resurrection and the Life (11:25), and the True Vine (15:1). Jesus is the cornerstone because only He could claim to be, the Way, the Truth, and the Life (14:6). If you are a Christian, then Jesus is your cornerstone by which the entirety of your life is being shaped by Him, and as He is shaping you, so too He is shaping all who truly belong to Him. We are a Word Formed Community The prophets and the apostles represent the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, that we as the temple of God (household) are being built upon. From Genesis to Revelation the Bible claims at least 3,000 times to be The Word of the Lord. And, in all its 66 books and the hundreds of years and many different contributors who were guided by the Holy Spirit, it is without error. In a very real sense, we are a people of the Book, but not just any old book! Consider some of the things that the Bible claims about itself: The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward (Ps. 19:7-11). All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The Old Testament and the New Testament are not two separate books nor are they two separate volumes. The Old Testament and New Testament are one book, one story, with one theme: Jesus! This is why Jesus said of Himself, Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them (Matt. 5:17); Jesus is Gods Yes to all Gods promises (2 Cor. 1:20). Jesus commanded His disciples after His resurrection and before His ascension: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matt. 28:19-20). Do not miss that He commanded us to teach all that He has commanded. The foundation on which Gods people must stand has always been on the Word of God. Our greatest need is to know God and to be known by Him. The way to know God is through His word, for it is the primary means by which He has revealed Himself. Every time you open your Bible and read the words contained in it, you hear the same voice that was powerful enough to create billions of suns like ours or greater; God has given us a book with His words in it to move and shape us as His people. The words of that Book bear the authority of the Living God and have the supernatural ability through the power of Gods Spirit to speak into your real needs, or as Hebrews 4:12 testifies: For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. You, my dear Christian, must allow your heart to be saturated by it, and the only way to do that is to open your Bible and allow God to speak into your life through His Holy Word, for that is the principle means by which He speaks to His people. Now, permit me to briefly say a word about the preaching of Gods Word as it relates to Gods people: On this side of eternity, God has ordained the preaching of His word as the primary agent for supernatural transformation. This is why we read in the Bible: How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher. So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ (Rom. 10:14, 17). If Romans 10 is not enough for you, consider 1 Corinthians 1:23-24, But we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. God has ordained the preaching of His Word to be one of the principle means to equip and strengthen His people for service in His name to the nations. When the proclamation of Gods Word is done responsibly by those who honestly labored over His Word through careful study and prayer then I believe what John Calvin once said is true every time we gather on a Sunday morning: God has so chosen to anoint the lips and tongues of His speakers that when they speak the voice of Jesus comes out (Calvin, Institutes, Book Four). This is why the apostle Paul instructed Timothy who was called to the Ephesian Church as their pastor: In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encouragewith great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. (2 Tim. 4:1-4) When we gather under the preaching of Gods Word, there is a God-ordained and supernatural work that Gods people subject themselves to. There are things that happen under the preaching of Gods word during corporate worship that cannot be explained but it is the work only God is able to perform through the authority of His Word proclaimed by the power of His Holy Spirit performed that will often blow your felt needs to ashes so that Gods word is able to address your real needs. We are a In-it-together Community Paul will address what it is that God is doing with His people in the verses and chapters to follow, so I will keep this brief. All I want you to see in verses 19 and 21-22 is this: God has always had a plan for your holiness and blamelessness in Christ, Christian. Through Jesus, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of Gods household (v. 19). God is committed to the very thing He has purposed to do in and through you when He set His affection upon you and chose you before the foundation of the world; His purpose in choosing you is that you would be, holy and blameless before Him (Eph. 1:4). When you were dead in your offenses and sins, God made you alive and every other Christian, alive together with Christ. Why did He do it? Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:10, For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. You were dead! You were an enemy of God! Now you are Gods child! Now you are, of Gods household in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit (vv. 20-21). What does this mean? It means that because you are in Christ, God is for you and not against you! It means, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6)! It means that no matter how used up you were, no matter how damaged you were, no matter how ugly your sins were He is making you more and more holy and more and more blameless! Listen. And the way that God is doing it is with Jesus as your cornerstone being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. In Ephesus there was a more glorious and more beautiful temple that made the great temple of Artemis look like a dung heap! It is a temple that continues to be built today and it is the place where the demonic fear because it is a living temple where the Spirit of God dwells; those who are far and near make up that temple. Meadowbrooke Church, we are also a part of that temple. It is because the preeminent Jesus is our cornerstone, and the foundation of His Church is the inspired teaching of the apostles and the prophets, the best and lasting gift I can give you is not a feeble attempt to cater to your felt needs, but the God of the Bible through the faithful preaching and teaching of His Word. So, on that note, I leave you with the words of a beautiful Hymn about a beautifying Bride: The church's one foundationIs Jesus Christ her Lord;She is his new creationBy water and the Word.From heaven he came and sought herTo be his holy bride;With his own blood he bought her,And for her life he died. Elect from every nation,Yet one o'er all the earth;Her charter of salvation,One Lord, one faith, one birth;One holy name she blesses,Partakes one holy food,And to one hope she presses,With every grace endued. The church shall never perish!Her dear Lord to defend,to guide, sustain, and cherish,is with her to the end;though there be those that hate her,and false sons in her pale,against the foe or traitorshe ever shall prevail. Mid toil and tribulation,And tumult of her war,She waits the consummationOf peace forevermore;Till, with the vision glorious,Her longing eyes are blest,And the great church victoriousShall be the church at rest. Yet she on earth hath unionWith God the Three in One,And mystic sweet communionWith those whose rest is won.O happy ones and holy!Lord, give us grace that weLike them, the meek and lowly,On high may dwell with thee.
On October 3, 2004, I preached my first sermon as a candidate for Northwest Baptist Churchs next Senior Pastor. Northwest was considered one of the most dysfunctional churches within the Rocky Mountain district, and although I knew this about the church, there was no way I could fully appreciate just how dysfunctional it really was. So, a very green and 30-year-old version of the pastor that stands before you today preached a sermon on boasting in the Cross of Christ before a congregation with a median age of somewhere in the 60s; my sermon text was from Galatians 6:11-18 and the title of my sermon was, Boasting in the Cross. On October 17th the congregation of Northwest Baptist Church voted to call me as their Senior Pastor. Because I was unsure about moving our family from Pennsylvania to Colorado, I needed more time to pray about it before agreeing to serve as the Senior Pastor of that little church in Denver. Earlier that day, just after the church service at Calvary Baptist Church where I was presently served on the pastoral staff, Bob and Shirley White had given me a gift for Clergy Appreciation Month. I only opened the wrapping paper so that I could thank Bob and Shirley; the gift was a book, and the title of that book was, God as He Longs for You to See Him, by Chip Ingram. I left the book in my office, which was only across the parking lot from where we lived at the time (a house we affectionately nicknamed: Little House on the Parking Lot). Because I needed time to pray, I walked across the parking lot and into my office at Calvary Baptist Church to be alone with the Lord. As I sat down, the book that Bob and Shirley White had given was there in front of my face. As I began to pray, I asked God to give me some indication as to what He wanted me to do; as I was praying, I opened Chip Ingrams book and noticed that Bob and Shirley had written a note on the inside cover: To our dear Christian brother, Keith, who has inspired us through his messages to see and know God as He really is. We love you and may God bless you, Roi Maw, and Nathan. Bob and Shirley White; October 16, 2004. Bob and Shirleys little note also served as Gods way to encourage me to say yes to Northwest Baptist Church; but also served to encourage me to say yes to Meadowbrookes call to become your pastor oddly enough, on the first week of October nearly 14 years to the day that I read Bob and Shirleys note for the first time. I am still convinced as I was twenty years ago, that the best that I can give you is the God of the Bible. I could try to cater to felt needs, but all that really ends up being is a guessing game, and besides, what would that do anyway? I am not going to look at Ephesians 2:19-22 in sequential order like I normally do with a scripture passage but will look at these verses in the order a builder would build a building. We are a Jesus Called Community When it came to the structure of a building, before anything could be built, the cornerstone had to be laid. It was the first stone laid because the dimensions and shape of the rest of the building were dependent upon the shape and size of the cornerstone. If the cornerstone was off, so the rest of the building would be off! If there was anything wrong with the cornerstone such as its dimensions, the way it was cut, or its integrity as the toughest and strongest of the stones used in the building, the structure would be compromised. In the ancient East, the cornerstone was the most expensive of all the stones used in a building because it was the most important part of the building. When it comes to the nature of the Church, Paul says that Jesus Christ is the cornerstone (v. 20b). Against the backdrop of the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, stood another temple. Only the temple Paul referred to was living, organic, and holy. Today, it is still being built and it will continue to be built with Jesus as the cornerstone until He is finished building and beatifying His Church. We, the Church, are the great wonder of all of heaven and it is concerning our salvation that we are told: angels long to look (1 Pet. 1:12). Think about who you are Church! In Jesus, we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (1:3). In Jesus, we were chosen before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless (v. 4). Through Jesus, we have been adopted as sons and daughters (v. 5). In Jesus, we have redemption through His blood (vv. 7-8). In Jesus, we have obtained an inheritance from God that no one can destroy (v. 11). In Jesus, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit that no one can break (v. 13). We were chosen, redeemed, and sealed all to the praise of the glory of God (vv. 6, 12, 14); which means that the Ephesian Church displayed a glory even greater than the power of 300 billion suns! The prophets and the apostles, through the Scriptures, pointed to Jesus: The prophets point towards Jesus and the apostles point back to Jesus. Long before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah declared: Therefore this is what the Lord Godsays: Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a tested stone, A precious cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. The one who believes in it will not be disturbed (Isa. 28:16). Concerning Jesus, the apostle Peter wrote, And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by people, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:4-5). As the cornerstone, Jesus is Gods final and most perfect revelation of Himself: God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world (Heb. 1:1-2). As we have learned in the previous verses, it is because of Christ and through Christ that both Jew and Gentile can become one new people group through faith in Him alone. It is through Jesus that we now have access to God the Father (2:18). If you are a Christian, then Jesus is your cornerstone! Think for a moment of what that means. Jesus is the cornerstone because He is the Christ (Isa. 9:6-7). Jesus is the Christ because He is the Great I AM who is the Bread of Life (John 6:35-51), the Light of the World (8:12; 9:5), the Door for His Sheep (10:7-9), the Good Shepherd (10:11-14), the Resurrection and the Life (11:25), and the True Vine (15:1). Jesus is the cornerstone because only He could claim to be, the Way, the Truth, and the Life (14:6). If you are a Christian, then Jesus is your cornerstone by which the entirety of your life is being shaped by Him, and as He is shaping you, so too He is shaping all who truly belong to Him. We are a Word Formed Community The prophets and the apostles represent the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, that we as the temple of God (household) are being built upon. From Genesis to Revelation the Bible claims at least 3,000 times to be The Word of the Lord. And, in all its 66 books and the hundreds of years and many different contributors who were guided by the Holy Spirit, it is without error. In a very real sense, we are a people of the Book, but not just any old book! Consider some of the things that the Bible claims about itself: The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward (Ps. 19:7-11). All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The Old Testament and the New Testament are not two separate books nor are they two separate volumes. The Old Testament and New Testament are one book, one story, with one theme: Jesus! This is why Jesus said of Himself, Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them (Matt. 5:17); Jesus is Gods Yes to all Gods promises (2 Cor. 1:20). Jesus commanded His disciples after His resurrection and before His ascension: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matt. 28:19-20). Do not miss that He commanded us to teach all that He has commanded. The foundation on which Gods people must stand has always been on the Word of God. Our greatest need is to know God and to be known by Him. The way to know God is through His word, for it is the primary means by which He has revealed Himself. Every time you open your Bible and read the words contained in it, you hear the same voice that was powerful enough to create billions of suns like ours or greater; God has given us a book with His words in it to move and shape us as His people. The words of that Book bear the authority of the Living God and have the supernatural ability through the power of Gods Spirit to speak into your real needs, or as Hebrews 4:12 testifies: For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. You, my dear Christian, must allow your heart to be saturated by it, and the only way to do that is to open your Bible and allow God to speak into your life through His Holy Word, for that is the principle means by which He speaks to His people. Now, permit me to briefly say a word about the preaching of Gods Word as it relates to Gods people: On this side of eternity, God has ordained the preaching of His word as the primary agent for supernatural transformation. This is why we read in the Bible: How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher. So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ (Rom. 10:14, 17). If Romans 10 is not enough for you, consider 1 Corinthians 1:23-24, But we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. God has ordained the preaching of His Word to be one of the principle means to equip and strengthen His people for service in His name to the nations. When the proclamation of Gods Word is done responsibly by those who honestly labored over His Word through careful study and prayer then I believe what John Calvin once said is true every time we gather on a Sunday morning: God has so chosen to anoint the lips and tongues of His speakers that when they speak the voice of Jesus comes out (Calvin, Institutes, Book Four). This is why the apostle Paul instructed Timothy who was called to the Ephesian Church as their pastor: In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encouragewith great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. (2 Tim. 4:1-4) When we gather under the preaching of Gods Word, there is a God-ordained and supernatural work that Gods people subject themselves to. There are things that happen under the preaching of Gods word during corporate worship that cannot be explained but it is the work only God is able to perform through the authority of His Word proclaimed by the power of His Holy Spirit performed that will often blow your felt needs to ashes so that Gods word is able to address your real needs. We are a In-it-together Community Paul will address what it is that God is doing with His people in the verses and chapters to follow, so I will keep this brief. All I want you to see in verses 19 and 21-22 is this: God has always had a plan for your holiness and blamelessness in Christ, Christian. Through Jesus, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of Gods household (v. 19). God is committed to the very thing He has purposed to do in and through you when He set His affection upon you and chose you before the foundation of the world; His purpose in choosing you is that you would be, holy and blameless before Him (Eph. 1:4). When you were dead in your offenses and sins, God made you alive and every other Christian, alive together with Christ. Why did He do it? Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:10, For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. You were dead! You were an enemy of God! Now you are Gods child! Now you are, of Gods household in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit (vv. 20-21). What does this mean? It means that because you are in Christ, God is for you and not against you! It means, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6)! It means that no matter how used up you were, no matter how damaged you were, no matter how ugly your sins were He is making you more and more holy and more and more blameless! Listen. And the way that God is doing it is with Jesus as your cornerstone being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. In Ephesus there was a more glorious and more beautiful temple that made the great temple of Artemis look like a dung heap! It is a temple that continues to be built today and it is the place where the demonic fear because it is a living temple where the Spirit of God dwells; those who are far and near make up that temple. Meadowbrooke Church, we are also a part of that temple. It is because the preeminent Jesus is our cornerstone, and the foundation of His Church is the inspired teaching of the apostles and the prophets, the best and lasting gift I can give you is not a feeble attempt to cater to your felt needs, but the God of the Bible through the faithful preaching and teaching of His Word. So, on that note, I leave you with the words of a beautiful Hymn about a beautifying Bride: The church's one foundationIs Jesus Christ her Lord;She is his new creationBy water and the Word.From heaven he came and sought herTo be his holy bride;With his own blood he bought her,And for her life he died. Elect from every nation,Yet one o'er all the earth;Her charter of salvation,One Lord, one faith, one birth;One holy name she blesses,Partakes one holy food,And to one hope she presses,With every grace endued. The church shall never perish!Her dear Lord to defend,to guide, sustain, and cherish,is with her to the end;though there be those that hate her,and false sons in her pale,against the foe or traitorshe ever shall prevail. Mid toil and tribulation,And tumult of her war,She waits the consummationOf peace forevermore;Till, with the vision glorious,Her longing eyes are blest,And the great church victoriousShall be the church at rest. Yet she on earth hath unionWith God the Three in One,And mystic sweet communionWith those whose rest is won.O happy ones and holy!Lord, give us grace that weLike them, the meek and lowly,On high may dwell with thee.
Having described the nature and blessing of the righteous, being like a blessed, upright, strong tree planted by God's River of Life (1:1-3), it declares: "No so, the ungodly, not so!" (v4). He then compares the ungodly to the chaff, which the wind drives away (1:4). We describe threshing, when the chaff is separated from the wheat, and winnowing, when both wheat and chaff are thrown up into the air, and the chaff is carried away by the wind. This describes what happens at a man's judgment right after his death. The threshing, which physically separates the chaff from the wheat, corresponds to physical death, and the winnowing describes what happens after death, when the chaff is blown away by the wind to a place of judgment, to be burnt. Whereas the wheat (believer in Christ) continues to stand in God's Kingdom, the chaff (unbeliever) can't stand before God, and is blown away into His fire (Hades, then the Lake of Fire). This process of judgment will be brought to its climax and completion by Christ at the Day of Lord: “His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matt 3:12). The word for threshing sledge is tribulum, where we get the word Tribulation. The chaff (thin skin around grain of wheat) is dry, empty, weak, unstable, and worthless, once separated from the wheat. God gives all men a measure of goodness in this life (common grace), but if they reject God, then at death His grace is removed and they become what they've chosen to be, an empty shell, separated from God's presence, life, goodness and glory (substance). The substance and value of our life comes from God's Presence, so those who die ungodly will immediately discover who they are in themselves, without God - worthless chaff, only good to be thrown into God's fire, for they are useless to God, for they've refused to fulfil the purpose for which they were created - to glorify God, choosing rather to be their own gods. Thus the nature and destiny of the cursed, weak, unstable chaff is opposite to the believer, who is like a tree, strong, stable, standing forever. At this time sinners and hypocrites can join in the congregation of the just, but when judgment day comes, sinners will find they can't stand before God with the just (who have right-standing with God thru Christ's righteousness), and will be separated from the just and removed - blown away to a place of fiery judgment (1:5). The conclusion (v6) contrasts the way and destination of the righteous and the way of the ungodly: "For the Lord knows (watches over) the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish (end in destruction)." We must choose to which of these 2 groups we belong. It describes these 2 groups and their 2 corresponding ways of life, to help us identify to which we actually belong. The Way of the righteous is Christ Himself (John 14:6), so to walk in this Way, means walking with Christ, in fellowship with Him. The statement that the Lord KNOWS the way of the righteous, in a way that He does not know the way of the ungodly, speaks of His personal relationship and involvement with them - that He is walking with them, and watching over them in love, making sure they will reach their glorious destination together. (Saying: 'I am the way' means personally leading us to our destination). On the other hand, the ungodly choose to go their own way, apart from God (Isa 53:6), and Jesus will say to them "I never knew you" (Matt 7:23), and so their way will end in ruin. Jesus is the narrow Gate and Way that leads to life (Matt 7:13-14). We enter through the narrow Gate when we trust in Him and His death & resurrection, receiving Him as our Lord and Saviour. Then we enter into the narrow Way, of walking in fellowship with Him, trusting His leadership. If you are righteous in Christ, you are on the Way of righteousness, which means you are travelling on a very different road through life than the multitudes of ungodly people, on the broad road leading to destruction ( 1:1). Finally, we point out there is only 1 Person who has perfectly fulfilled Psalm 1 - JESUS. This is a portrait of Christ - the Blessed Man of Psalm 1. This is why 'the blessed man' is in the singular, and the 'ungodly' is plural. Without Christ, we would all be useless chaff destined for fire. But He has made a way for us to be put into Christ and receive His righteousness. Since Psalm 1 is fulfilled in Christ, when you are put into Christ, then Psalm 1 also becomes true for you, for you are in Christ - you become a blessed man in Him (Eph 1:3), planted (in the new birth) by the River of the Spirit, with full access to His grace, enabling you to grow spiritually, become fruitful, as you meditate on His Word and develop strong faith roots to draw upon His life.
Having described the nature and blessing of the righteous, being like a blessed, upright, strong tree planted by God's River of Life (1:1-3), it declares: "No so, the ungodly, not so!" (v4). He then compares the ungodly to the chaff, which the wind drives away (1:4). We describe threshing, when the chaff is separated from the wheat, and winnowing, when both wheat and chaff are thrown up into the air, and the chaff is carried away by the wind. This describes what happens at a man's judgment right after his death. The threshing, which physically separates the chaff from the wheat, corresponds to physical death, and the winnowing describes what happens after death, when the chaff is blown away by the wind to a place of judgment, to be burnt. Whereas the wheat (believer in Christ) continues to stand in God's Kingdom, the chaff (unbeliever) can't stand before God, and is blown away into His fire (Hades, then the Lake of Fire). This process of judgment will be brought to its climax and completion by Christ at the Day of Lord: “His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matt 3:12). The word for threshing sledge is tribulum, where we get the word Tribulation. The chaff (thin skin around grain of wheat) is dry, empty, weak, unstable, and worthless, once separated from the wheat. God gives all men a measure of goodness in this life (common grace), but if they reject God, then at death His grace is removed and they become what they've chosen to be, an empty shell, separated from God's presence, life, goodness and glory (substance). The substance and value of our life comes from God's Presence, so those who die ungodly will immediately discover who they are in themselves, without God - worthless chaff, only good to be thrown into God's fire, for they are useless to God, for they've refused to fulfil the purpose for which they were created - to glorify God, choosing rather to be their own gods. Thus the nature and destiny of the cursed, weak, unstable chaff is opposite to the believer, who is like a tree, strong, stable, standing forever. At this time sinners and hypocrites can join in the congregation of the just, but when judgment day comes, sinners will find they can't stand before God with the just (who have right-standing with God thru Christ's righteousness), and will be separated from the just and removed - blown away to a place of fiery judgment (1:5). The conclusion (v6) contrasts the way and destination of the righteous and the way of the ungodly: "For the Lord knows (watches over) the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish (end in destruction)." We must choose to which of these 2 groups we belong. It describes these 2 groups and their 2 corresponding ways of life, to help us identify to which we actually belong. The Way of the righteous is Christ Himself (John 14:6), so to walk in this Way, means walking with Christ, in fellowship with Him. The statement that the Lord KNOWS the way of the righteous, in a way that He does not know the way of the ungodly, speaks of His personal relationship and involvement with them - that He is walking with them, and watching over them in love, making sure they will reach their glorious destination together. (Saying: 'I am the way' means personally leading us to our destination). On the other hand, the ungodly choose to go their own way, apart from God (Isa 53:6), and Jesus will say to them "I never knew you" (Matt 7:23), and so their way will end in ruin. Jesus is the narrow Gate and Way that leads to life (Matt 7:13-14). We enter through the narrow Gate when we trust in Him and His death & resurrection, receiving Him as our Lord and Saviour. Then we enter into the narrow Way, of walking in fellowship with Him, trusting His leadership. If you are righteous in Christ, you are on the Way of righteousness, which means you are travelling on a very different road through life than the multitudes of ungodly people, on the broad road leading to destruction ( 1:1). Finally, we point out there is only 1 Person who has perfectly fulfilled Psalm 1 - JESUS. This is a portrait of Christ - the Blessed Man of Psalm 1. This is why 'the blessed man' is in the singular, and the 'ungodly' is plural. Without Christ, we would all be useless chaff destined for fire. But He has made a way for us to be put into Christ and receive His righteousness. Since Psalm 1 is fulfilled in Christ, when you are put into Christ, then Psalm 1 also becomes true for you, for you are in Christ - you become a blessed man in Him (Eph 1:3), planted (in the new birth) by the River of the Spirit, with full access to His grace, enabling you to grow spiritually, become fruitful, as you meditate on His Word and develop strong faith roots to draw upon His life.
Romans 15:33 Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen. Four times in Paul's letters, he refers to God as the God of peace. God isn't a god of peace. He is the one and only God of peace. God, the Father of Jesus Christ, has made peace with sinners through the death of His Son so that He could be with us. What God does such a thing but our God? All the other so-called gods of this world are only at peace with men if the men do something to please them or appease them. But our God loved us when we were enemies. When we were dead in our transgressions and sins against Him, He made us alive together with Christ, raised us up with Him, and then seated us in the heavenly places with Him (Eph. 2:5-6). Our God is rich in mercy, and His love is so great that He gave His Son to bring us to Himself. Then in response to Jesus' request, God gave His Spirit of life in Christ to dwell in us so we could live with and through Him. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved wretches like us! These words are a moving prayer for our brothers and sisters in Christ. If the God of peace is with us, then we become peace-makers in this world. James wrote, James 3:18. “And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” We are equipped to love others because we are at peace with God and are carried and moved by His love which has been poured out within our hearts. Because we have been loved, we love. The more we are aware of His presence and love, the more we treasure Jesus and long for others to experience the peace, love, and joy of Jesus for the glory of God. Now may the God of peace be with you today. Amen.
Jesus' suffering and death on the cross has both infinite and eternal value for both God the Father as well as those trust in Christ as their Savior. According to Francis Schaeffer, “Christ's death in space-time history is completely adequate to meet our need for refuge from the true moral guilt that we have. It is final because of who He is. He is the infinite second person of the Trinity; therefore, His death has infinite value.”[1]Though Jesus suffered for our sins for only a few hours on the cross, His death had infinite and eternal value and saves forever those who trust in Him as Savior. Geisler states, “Being by nature the infinite God, Christ's death had infinite value, even though His suffering and death occurred in a finite amount of time. Time is not a mandatory measure of worth—birth, for instance, happens over a relatively short span but produces something of extraordinary value. One death in limited time achieved something of limitless value for all eternity.”[2] Paul Enns states, “At the heart of orthodox belief is the recognition that Christ died a substitutionary death to provide salvation for a lost humanity. If Jesus were only a man He could not have died to save the world, but because of His deity, His death had infinite value whereby He could die for the entire world.”[3] As a result of what Christ accomplished, there is great benefit for us who have trusted in Him as our Savior. By His work on the cross, Christians become the recipients of great blessings, both in time and eternity. Though He blesses some Christians materially (1 Tim 6:17-19), His main focus is on giving us spiritual blessings which are far better. Paul wrote that God “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph 1:3). According to Harold Hoehner, “Every spiritual blessing (eulogia) refers to every spiritual enrichment needed for the spiritual life. Since these benefits have already been bestowed on believers, they should not ask for them but rather appropriate them by faith.”[4] Some of the spiritual blessings mentioned in Scripture are as follows: We are the special objects of His love: “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8), and “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). We are forgiven all our sins: “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Col 2:13-14; cf. Eph 1:7; Heb 10:10-14). We are given eternal life: Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand (John 10:27-28; cf. John 3:16; 6:40; 20:31). We are made alive together with Christ: “God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ” (Eph 2:4-5). We are raised up and seated with Christ: God “raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6). We are the recipients of God's grace: “For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace” (John 1:16), “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8-9). We are created to perform good works: “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Gal 6:10), and “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Eph 2:10; cf., Tit 2:11-4). We are given freedom in Christ: “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal 5:1), “For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Gal 5:13; cf., 1 Pet 2:16). We are given a spiritual gift to serve others: “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Pet 4:10; cf. Rom 12:6-8; Eph 4:11). We are children of God: “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are” (1 John 3:1a), “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:26). We are made ambassadors for Christ: “We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:20). We are gifted with God's righteousness: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21), “and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith” (Phil 3:9; cf. Rom 4:3-5; 5:17). We are justified before God: “Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus…For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” (Rom 3:24, 28), and “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified” (Gal 2:16). We have peace with God: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1). We will never be condemned: “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18), “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (John 5:24), “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1). We are given citizenship in heaven: “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil 3:20). We are transferred to the kingdom of Christ: “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col 1:13; cf. Acts 26:18), and “walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory” (1 Th 2:12). We are all saints in Christ Jesus: we are “saints by calling” (1 Cor 1:2), and “saints in Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:1), and “are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household” (Eph 2:19). We are made priests to God: “He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Rev 1:6). We are God's chosen: “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him” (Eph 1:4), “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Col 3:12). We are the recipients of His faithfulness: “He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you'” (Heb 13:5), and even “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim 2:13). We have been called to walk in newness of life: “We have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:4), and “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love” (Eph 4:1-2). We are members of the Church, the body of Christ: “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (Rom 12:4-5), and “He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Eph 1:22-23; cf. Col 1:18). We are indwelt with the Holy Spirit: “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Cor 3:16), “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you” (1 Cor 6:19). We are sealed with the Holy Spirit: “having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph 1:13b; cf. 2 Cor 5:5). We are enabled to walk with God: “I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Gal 5:16), and “Since we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” (Gal 5:25). We are empowered to live godly: “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence” (2 Pet 1:3). We have Scripture to train us in righteousness: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17). We are guaranteed a new home in heaven: “In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3). We are guaranteed resurrection bodies: “I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Cor 15:51-53). We have special access to God's throne of grace: “Let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16). We will be glorified in eternity: “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory” (Col 3:4), for Christ “will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself” (Phil 3:21). Dr. Steven R. Cook [1] Francis A. Schaeffer, Joshua and the Flow of Biblical History, Second U.S. edition. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2004), 206. [2] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Four: Church, Last Things (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2005), 403. [3] Paul P. Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1989), 225. [4] Harold W. Hoehner, “Ephesians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 616.
Light it UP pt.2 My 5:14-15 “The mark of the gospel impacting a person's life is literally - not conforming” Bill Johnson 1) How do we purposely shine? - We live in the light “In order to change a culture, we need to have a different culture in us” Leif Hetland Isa 69:1-2 2) How do we live in the light? - We choose to walk in bold relationship with Him Eph 5:8-11 Mt 16:24-25 3) How do we walk in bold relationship with Him? - We come up higher Isa 55:9 Ps 121:1-2 Col 3:1-3 Eph 1:20-21 4) How do we come up higher? - We live a life that is hidden in Him Col 3:3 Eph 2:1-9 COMPROMISE kills the fire - COMMUNION stokes it! Set your mind on things above - Col 3:2 Call upon the Lord - Jer 33:3 Seek the Lord - Jer 29:13 Praise Him. Live in gratitude and worship - Ps 100:4 Live Righteously - Eph 5:8-11 Choose your attitude - Phil 2:14-15
November 15, 2023 PM, Acts 9:1-19.A real change was wrought in Saul's heart. It was clear from the getgo that he was entirely transformed. God chose Saul. If you are a Christ-follower, God chose you too, before you knew it, and He purposed to transform you like He did Saul. He also purposed to have you do good works for Him (Eph. 2:10). We are indeed chosen to be forgiven, and chosen to serve Him. Will you be like Saul and say, 'I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision!' (Acts 26:19)?
LIGHT IT UP Jn 1:1-5 NIV Jn1:12-14 NKJV Back to Jn 1:5 The darkness cannot shut out the light of Christ - but it tries! Mt 5:14 1) How do we purposely shine? We live in the light Isa 60:1-2 2) How do we live in the light? We choose to walk in bold relationship with Him Eph 5:8-11 3) How do we walk in bold relationship with Him? We come up higher Isa 55:9 Ps 121:1-2 Col 3:1-3 4) How do we come up higher? We live the life that is hidden with Him Col 3;3 Call upon the Lord Jer 33:3 Seek the Lord Jer 29:13 Praise Him Isa 61:3, Ps 100:4 Live Righteously Ps 24:3-4 Choose our attitude Phil 2:13-15 Fear the Lord Ps 25:14
We glorify God by executing the Christian life under the filling of the Holy Spirit. “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever, Amen” (Rom 11:36). We are to glorify God in everything we do. One way to glorify God is to ascribe honor to His essence. He is sovereign, righteous, justice, love, immutable, veracity, eternal life, omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. God is called the Father of Glory. You come to understand Him through His Son. “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of Glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him” (Eph 1:17). God has a plan for your life and this wisdom and revelation is revealed in the knowledge of Christ. As we grow to spiritual maturity and begin to replicate the life of Christ, God is glorified. The world needs to see Christ in you. “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col 1:27). Click for Full Transcript: https://rhem.pub/glorifying-transcript-ff20b1
God the Father is seen as the initiator, planner, and orchestrator of the salvation of mankind, and this because He is loving, merciful, and kind, and “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4), and is “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9). Salvation is necessary because of the problem of sin in the human race. All mankind is utterly helpless to bring about a remedy by human effort (Rom 3:10, 23; 5:6-10; Gal 2:16, 21; 3:21-22). Everyone is said to be “darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart” (Eph 4:18), and “dead” in their “trespasses and sins” (Eph 2:1; cf., Col 2:13). This refers to spiritual death, which means separation from God. We are trapped in sin and stand guilty before a holy and righteous God and are completely unable to save ourselves. Wiersbe observes: The unbeliever is not sick; he is dead! He does not need resuscitation; he needs resurrection. All lost sinners are dead, and the only difference between one sinner and another is the state of decay. The lost derelict on skid row may be more decayed outwardly than the unsaved society leader, but both are dead in sin—and one corpse cannot be more dead than another! This means that our world is one vast graveyard, filled with people who are dead while they live (1 Tim 5:6).[1] If God had not made a way for us to be saved, we would be forever lost. Lightner states: God is the only one who could solve the problem which man's sin presented to Him. After man's fall God the Father began in time the plan of salvation which He devised before time began. This divine plan centered in his divine Son: “He gave His only begotten Son” because He “so loved the world” (John 3:16). “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us” (1 John 3:16). “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only-begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9).[2] But God intervened. He broke into time and space and displayed His mercy, love, and grace upon mankind. The apostle Paul wrote: But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Eph 2:4-9) The Father's actions are based on His love for all mankind. He loves because of who He is and not because of the beauty or worth of the object. Scripture reveals that “God is Love” (1 John 4:8), which means love is part of His nature. God loves because it is His nature to love. The Father's eternal plan for salvation God the Father's soteriological work is traced back to what He planned before time began. He was motivated to provide for our salvation before we existed. According to Lightner, “We are often led to believe that our salvation began when we made our decision to trust Christ as Savior. The fact is, God was at work on our behalf long before that time.”[3] Paul wrote that God the Father “chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him” (Eph 1:4). That the Father elected us to salvation is straightforward in this passage, and the doctrine of election will be addressed later in this work. For now, this passage is noted because it speaks of the Father's salvation-work “before the foundation of the world.” According to Lightner: God the Father's work in salvation centers primarily in what he did before time began. With infinite love and compassion he acted on our behalf even before we were born. Paul told the Ephesian Christians that they had been chosen in Christ by the Father before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4). To the Roman Christians the same apostle wrote about the Father's foreknowledge, predestination, and call of them before time (Rom 8:29–30). Peter, writing to saints scattered throughout Asia Minor, described them as “elect” of God the Father (1 Pet 1:2). While evangelicals differ on how these and other such passages are to be understood, they all agree that God the Father initiated the plan of salvation in eternity past.[4] God's election starts with His sovereign choice, but also includes the individual choices of those who trust in Christ as Savior. Both are true. Though there is tension at this point—and this because of limited information and limited human capacity to comprehend—both God's sovereignty and human volition must be acknowledged at the same time. Lightner states, “God the Father is sovereign. He must be to be God. Human responsibility is just as biblical as divine sovereignty. Jesus stressed both. Jesus said no one can come to him unless drawn by the Father but he also said none who come to him would be cast out (John 6:37).”[5]And Paul Enns states, “While there is human responsibility in salvation, there is first a divine side to salvation in which God sovereignly acts to secure the sinner's salvation.”[6]The Christian must be content to live with this tension and not try to force a solution one way or another. The salvation of mankind, with all its details, was fully comprehended and planned by God the Father from eternity past. It's not as though God was surprised by the fall of Lucifer and mankind. He is eternal, and His plan is eternal. Lightner states, “We must never view salvation as an afterthought or as the only possible way out of a hopeless dilemma on the part of God. The plan of salvation is as eternal as God is. God was not shocked when Satan and then man fell. He is eternal, and his plan is from eternity past to eternity future.”[7] God the Father commissioned God the Son God the Father commissioned God the Son to provide our salvation. God the Son agreed to the Father's mission, came into the world, added humanity to Himself, and executed the Father's plan perfectly. Though Jesus said and did many things during His time on earth, of which many books have been written, His primary mission was to save sinners. Jesus said, “the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10), and “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Jesus lived a sinless life and then sacrificed Himself on the cross as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of humanity. Through His death, burial, and resurrection, salvation is offered to all who believe in Him as Savior. Bruce Ware notes, “In eternity, the Father commissioned the Son who then willingly laid aside the glory He had with the Father to come and purchase our pardon and renewal.”[8] God the Father sent the Son to die It was the Father's will for the Son to go to the cross to die for lost sinners, and the Son willingly went to His death and bore the Father's wrath in our place. This was explained in Isaiah, where the prophet wrote about the Suffering Servant, saying, “But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering” (Isa 53:10a). It is simultaneously true that the Father sent and the Son went. In the Gospel of John, we're told, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:16-17). Jesus said, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent” (John 6:29), and “I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38). The apostle John wrote, “God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10), and “the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world” (1 John 4:14). Walvoord states: Jesus Christ's main purpose in coming to the world…was to provide salvation for those who put their trust in Him. Jesus expressed this in Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” In His public ministry Jesus spoke of many truths, and His teachings were so comprehensive that a systematic theology could be written based on what He said and taught. However, this was a background to His dying on the cross for our sins. In this supreme act of dying, He fulfilled His main purpose in becoming incarnate, of being “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).[9] [1] Ibid., 18. [2] Robert P. Lightner, Handbook of Evangelical Theology: A Historical, Biblical, and Contemporary Survey and Review (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1995), 189–190. [3] Ibid., 192. [4] Ibid., 191. [5] Ibid., 191. [6] Paul P. Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1989), 328. [7] Robert P. Lightner, Handbook of Evangelical Theology, 192. [8] Bruce A. Ware, “Tampering with the Trinity: Does the Son Submit to His Father?,” in Biblical Foundations for Manhood and Womanhood, ed. Wayne Grudem, Foundations for the Family Series (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2002), 248. [9] John F. Walvoord, What We Believe, 73.
The four primary ways the Ascended Life manifests through our lives are through: 1) It's Secret.2) It's Perspective. 3) It's Impartation. 4) It's Application. The Secret of the Ascended Life is that we have ascended with Him (Eph.2:6) The Perspective of the Ascended Life enables us to look through the eyes of God (James 1:17). The Impartation of the Ascended Life is the downloading of the gift that we are and the gifts that we have. Heaven comes to earth (James 3:17). The Application of the Ascended Life brings to bear the ministry of heavenly wisdom upon earthly situations. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thekingdom4everyone/support
As God's children, we simultaneously live and operate in two realms. Physically, we live in the material world that God created (though damaged by our sin), and it is here we spend our time learning, working, playing, resting, and touching the lives of those whom God places in our path. It is here we must advance by learning God's Word and living wisely in His will (2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:2; 2 Pet 3:18). Making good choices from day to day—rooted in God's Word—is paramount to this life, as well as the one to come. As believers, we are to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matt 6:33), and trust that “God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19). This requires faith (2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38; 11:6). But we also live in a spiritual realm that touches things real, but unseen. As Christians, we are to be led by God the Holy Spirit, to be “filled with the Spirit” (Eph 5:18), and to “walk by the Spirit” (Gal 5:16). Furthermore, we face attacks from the spiritual realm, as Paul warns us that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12). As advancing Christians, we are to “be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Col 1:9). And because the mind is the primary battleground, “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor 10:5). Knowledge of God and His Word provides a basis for living effectively in both the physical and spiritual realm. God's Word reveals He's provided us a portfolio of spiritual blessings that benefit us in this life and, if understood and applied, will result in great rewards in the eternal state (1 Cor 3:14-15; 2 Cor 5:10). Living in the dispensation of the church age, God has bestowed on us many good things. Though He blesses some Christians materially (1 Tim 6:17-19), His main focus is on giving us spiritual blessings which are far better. Paul wrote that God “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph 1:3). According to Harold Hoehner, “Every spiritual blessing (eulogia) refers to every spiritual enrichment needed for the spiritual life. Since these benefits have already been bestowed on believers, they should not ask for them but rather appropriate them by faith.”[1]Warren Wiersbe states: "In the Old Testament, God promised His earthly people, Israel, material blessings as a reward for their obedience (Deut 28:1–13). Today, He promises to supply all our needs “according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:19), but He does not promise to shield us from either poverty or pain. The Father has given us every blessing of the Spirit, everything we need for a successful, satisfying Christian life. The spiritual is far more important than the material."[2] Some of our spiritual blessings are as follows: We are the special objects of His love: “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8), and “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). We are forgiven all our sins: “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Col 2:13-14; cf. Eph 1:7; Heb 10:10-14). We are given eternal life: Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand (John 10:27-28; cf. John 3:16; 20:31). We are made alive together with Christ: “God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ” (Eph 2:4-5). We are raised up and seated with Christ: God “raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6). We are the recipients of God's grace: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8-9). We are created to perform good works: “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Eph 2:10). We are given freedom in Christ: “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal 5:1; cf. Gal 5:13; 1 Pet 2:16). We are given a spiritual gift to serve others: “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Pet 4:10; cf. Rom 12:6-8; Eph 4:11). We are children of God: “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are” (1 John 3:1a; cf. John 3:6; Gal 3:26; 1 Pet 1:23; Tit 3:5). We are made ambassadors for Christ: “We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:20). We are gifted with God's righteousness: “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21; cf. Rom 4:3-5; 5:17; Phil 3:9). We are justified before God: “Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus…For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” (Rom 3:24, 28). We have peace with God: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1). We will never be condemned: “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1). We are given citizenship in heaven: “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil 3:20). We are transferred to the kingdom of Christ: “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col 1:13; cf. Acts 26:18; 1 Th 2:12). We are all saints in Christ Jesus: “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household” (Eph 2:19; cf. Eph 1:18-19). We are made priests to God: “He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Rev 1:6). We are God's chosen: “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him” (Eph 1:4; cf. Rom 8:29-33). We are the recipients of His faithfulness: “He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you'” (Heb 13:5; cf. Phil 1:6; 1 Th 5:24). We have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life: “We have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:4; cf. Rom 6:10-13). We are members of the Church, the body of Christ: “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (Rom 12:4-5), and “He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Eph 1:22-23; cf. Col 1:18). We are indwelt with the Holy Spirit: “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1 Cor 3:16; cf. 1 Cor 6:19). We are sealed with the Holy Spirit: “having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph 1:13b; cf. 2 Cor 5:5). We are enabled to walk with God: “I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Gal 5:16). We are empowered to live godly: “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence” (2 Pet 1:3). We have Scripture to train us in righteousness: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17). We are guaranteed a new home in heaven: “In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3). We are guaranteed resurrection bodies: “I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality” (1 Cor 15:51-53). We have special access to God's throne of grace: “Let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16). We will be glorified in eternity: “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory” (Col 3:4), for Christ “will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself” (Phil 3:21) In these blessings from God we observe “the riches of His grace” (Eph 1:7). These are bestowed on us at the moment we trusted Christ as our Savior, and we come to know and appreciate them the more we study God's Word and grasp His goodness toward us. Such blessings are intended to motivate us to service, to live a life in appreciation for all God has done for us. With Paul, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe” (Eph 1:18-19a). [1] Harold W. Hoehner, “Ephesians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 616. [2] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 9.
Tim continues to speak on the two giants in the land of Kingdom breakthrough and heaven being fully manifested on earth … those being unbelief and orphanitis, Paul said to the Corinthians, “you have ten thouand teachers in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers”. Paul points to this as being the reason they are still stuck in immaturity. In our call to “grow up into Him” (Eph 4) we MUST shift from our focus on programs, events, and tasks, and truly open our hearts to giving and receiving adoptive love - growing together as family. Much of the immature fruit we see in the Body today is a “pandemic of the unparented”. God is wanting to raise up mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, so that the world experiences the fullness of Jesus.
This message is from Summer Week 2: "Everyone Needs A Second Chance"Everyone Needs A Second ChanceWe believe our God is a God of grace and second chances. It's only because of His grace expressed in Jesus that we can know new life in Him and eternal life with Him (Eph. 2:8-9). Therefore, we will be a people of grace, extending freely to others what God extended freely to us. Grace will be the platform from which we share the truth so people far from God can experience the second chance at life only He offers.STAY CONNECTED: Twitter: https://bit.ly/2XTOD4rFacebook: https://bit.ly/3ja3TCqInstagram: https://bit.ly/3jeBFq2v
Introduction Whenever we discuss the incarnation of Christ, or His death and resurrection, or His ascension, we are talking about something that is much more important than simple location. We are not just interested in certain powerful works that He performed, but rather are interested in the meaning of those works. In the ascension of Christ, we are not interested in how He moved from here to there. His ascension was the occasion of His investiture to cosmic office. In other words, we are called upon to live our lives here in the light of His transcendental authority. And so this brings us to consider the ethical ramifications of the ascension of Christ. The skeptic may want to allege that we are talking fairy tales about a divine being going up to a sky castle. But if we hear the story correctly, our response should be, “Man, that's ethically serious.” The Text “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Col. 3:1–5). Summary of the Text The Scriptures teach us that Christ is the archetypal man, the Adam of a new race, the representative of all who have faith in Him. Just as we all sinned when Adam ate the forbidden fruit, because he was our representative and federal head, so also the obedience of Christ is our obedience—on the same grounds. He is an Adam, our federal head. By faith, we experience everything He experiences. When He died, we died (Gal. 2:20). When He was buried in the cave, we were buried in the cave with Him (Rom. 6:4). When He rose from the dead, we rose from the dead in Him (Eph.2:5-6). And to the point of our celebration today, when He ascended into the heavenly spheres, we ascended together with Him (Eph. 2:6). From His suffering, which is ours by grace, to His glory, which is also ours by more grace, the whole story is one of a salvation on earth which is anchored in the heavens. It began there, and it ends there. So turning to our text, if we in fact are risen with Christ, then this should orient us to those things which are above (v. 1). The location of this “above” is identified as the right hand of God, where Christ is seated (v. 1). The Colossians are told to set their affections there, and not down here on the earth (v. 2). The reason for this is their prior participation in the death of Christ (v. 3), and as a consequence, their life is hidden with Christ in God (v. 3). Our life is hidden with Christ, and Christ is in fact that life. When Christ, who is our life, comes again in glory, then we will be manifested there with Him in that glory (v. 4). And so here we see the ethical ramifications of the ascension. Mortify, put to death, Paul says, your members which are down here on the earth (v. 5). He then lists those members, all of which appear to be sexual in nature—fornication, uncleanness, inordinate passion, evil desire, and covetousness—which amounts to idolatry (v. 5). One of the central reasons why our generation is caught in a morass of sexual deviance is because we have forgotten the transcendent reality of Christ's rule. A Hard Juxtaposition Because of the work Christ has done on our behalf, we have a new identity in Him. Because of this work, the old man has been crucified, and reigning sin no longer has dominion. This is why Paul can address this letter to the “saints and faithful brethren” in Christ (Col. 1:2). This is who they are. But they (and we) still have to deal with remaining sin, and that is what Paul is dealing with here—our members which are on the earth. Three Mortifications So when it comes to the Christian life, there are three mortifications that we have to understand. To mortify means to put to death. The first mortification occurs at conversion, when God by His grace puts the old man to death. “And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Gal. 5:24). This occurs when God rototills a weed patch, transforming it into a garden. The second kind of mortification occurs here, in our text. Paul is addressing saints who are already saints, but who have allowed certain weeds to grow up in their garden. But this is a garden, not a weed patch any more, and so the weeds must be put to death. “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth” (Col. 3:5). The command here is an aorist imperative, meaning that it is a definitive, over and done kind of action. Kill those weeds. The third kind of mortification is a daily thing, an ongoing thing. “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Rom. 8:13). So if we continue with the gardening metaphor, this is a mortification of weeds that a good gardener performs, as she goes out every morning at 5 am to weed. It has never been the case (when a good gardener does this) that she comes back with nothing. Gunk in Your Brains Someone who is being moral isn't thinking about how moral he is. Being moral and being moralistic are quite different. Moralism is a fussy sort of business, avoiding things that it wishes it didn't have to avoid. Moralism suspects that the non-believers out there are having a good time, and wants to put a stop to it. At the end of the day, moralism is frankly impotent. The liberating power of grace is found in this. God wants you to contrast your affections on things above with your inordinate affection for things below. He wants you to put them into the same sentence. He wants you to set the transcendence of the risen Christ on one side of the balances, and your favorite porn site on the other. He wants you to evaluate your life with a Temple measure. Your members which are on the earth have this resilient characteristic—nothing earthly can put them to death. No sword fashioned down here on earth can penetrate the hide of any of these creatures—every blow glances off. You are the saints of God, which means that you have gunk in your brains. Do not be astonished at this. You are saints and faithful brethren, just like the Colossians. They had gunk in their brains too. But notice what Paul is up to here. He does not say to leave the gunk behind because that gunk is sinful and bad. That is true enough, but it doesn't work. He says to leave it behind because Christ has ascended into the heavenlies, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
The ALTAR then the LAVER then the PRESENCE CD#1454 04/24/22 Sun. A.M. @ VWC Who are what are you chasing in your daily life, the wind or the WORD? Is the Lord God a God of order (1 Cor. 14:33)? Are we His children supposed to follow after Him (Eph. 5:1)! In God's Plan for mankind, it starts with redemption (ALTAR) then daily sanctification (LAVER) {sanctification deals with the believer's behavior} and finally glorification (Christ's Coming) Are you in a season where you are not “SEEING” the Lord God as you have in the past or as much as you need to? Today the Lord has instruction for us that will correct us in love and grow us up in Him if we will hear and heed! Decree: Lord I will “HEAR & HEED” today! [Tabernacle was actually a symbol for Jesus (Hebrews 8:5, 9:11).] See 2 Thess. 2:13 – We have the God Head in work for your salvation and by your faith in His Truth!Text: Matt. 5:1 & 8 – are you a disciple? Will you come to Him this morning? (PURE IN HEART enables us to “SEE” God in the good times and the bad -Ps. 24:4; Ps. 73:1)! It's the Word that makes us “PURE IN HEART”: #1 WASHED not Wishing *Read Eph. 5:25-27 –Note CLEANSE is from the prime translated “PURE IN HEART” to see God we must see Jesus the WORD (RHEMA) first continually being WASHED (LOUTRON = the LAVER - wash the whole person) by Him and in Him! See Titus 3:5 – spiritual rebirth. #2 WASHED not Wanting *Read Exodus 30:17-21 – V.8 “LAVER of Brass” (KEE-YORE') The LAVER comes after the ALTAR; the ALTAR is for sinners; the LAVER is for priests (see John 13:10 – Jesus washes disciples feet) See Exodus 38:8 - mirrors. James 1:22-25- 2 Cor. 3:18 changed from glory to glory! #3 WASHED by the Word *Read John 15:1-3 “NOW ye are clean through the Word” – “NOW” equals moment by moment. Close with 1 John 5:5-12 WATER and BLOOD! Illustration: #1. It is much like the story of the harried executive who went to the desert father and complained about his frustration in prayer, his flawed virtue, and his failed relationships. The hermit listened closely to his visitor's rehearsal of the struggle and disappointments in trying to lead a Christian life. He then went into the dark recesses of his cave and came out with a basin and a pitcher of water. “Now watch the water as I pour it into the basin,” he said. The water splashed on the bottom and against the sides of the container. It was agitated and turbulent. At first the stirred-up water swirled around the inside of the basin; then it gradually began to settle, until finally the small fast ripples evolved into larger swells that oscillated back and forth. Eventually, the surface became so smooth that the visitor could see his face reflected in the placid water. “That is the way it is when you live constantly in the midst of others,” said the hermit. “You do not see yourself as y
In our current section on case laws (Deut 19:1—26:19), we are considering how the nation of ancient Israel was to practice righteous living after they entered the land of Canaan (Deut 16:20), how righteousness was measured by conformity to God's laws (Deut 6:24-25), and obedience would result in the Lord's blessings (Deut 11:26-28). In the current section, Moses give directives concerning: 1) responsible care for a neighbor's lost property (Deut 22:1-3), 2) helping a neighbor (Deut 22:4), 3) prohibition against transvestism (Deut 22:5), 4) conservation of birds as a food source (Deut 22:6-7), 5) maintaining structurally safe homes (Deut 22:8), 6) symbolic separation of seeds, animals, and fabrics (Deut 22:9-11), and 7) wearing clothing that reminds Israel of their holy relationship with God (Deut 22:12). Moses begins these sundry laws, saying: "You shall not see your countryman's ox or his sheep straying away, and pay no attention to them [עָלַם alam – to conceal or hide oneself]; you shall certainly bring them back to your countryman. 2 If your countryman is not near you, or if you do not know him, then you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall remain with you until your countryman looks for it; then you shall restore it to him. 3 Thus you shall do with his donkey, and you shall do the same with his garment, and you shall do likewise with anything lost by your countryman, which he has lost and you have found. You are not allowed to neglect them [עָלַם alam – to conceal or hide oneself]." (Deut 22:1-3) Of the 613 commands in the Mosaic Laws, 365 were negative and 248 were positive. The commands related largely to Israel's relationship with God and others. Previously, Moses commanded that an Israelite return the lost animal of his enemy (Ex 23:4). The enemy in Exodus 23:4 likely refers to a fellow Israelite who was a legal adversary. In Deuteronomy 22:1-3, the application pertained to caring for anything lost that belonged to a fellow Israelite (ox, sheep, donkey, garment, etc.), until it could be restored. If an Israelite found his neighbor's property, whatever it might be, he was not permitted to “pay no attention to them”, or “not allowed to neglect them”, which phrases translates the Hebrew עָלַם alam, and means to conceal or hide oneself. Other translations read, “You must not ignore it” CSB), and “you must not refuse to get involved” (NET). That is, an Israelite was not free to hide himself from his communal responsibility of caring for his neighbor's property. Earl Radmacher states, “Every individual in the community bore a responsibility to uphold justice within that community (compare Gal 6:2).”[1] Moses provides another example of corporate responsibility, saying, “You shall not see your countryman's donkey or his ox fallen down on the way, and pay no attention to them; you shall certainly help him to raise them up” (Deut 22:4). Whereas the previous command related to returning lost property to its rightful owner, this directive pertained to helping an animal that had fallen and could not get up. We're not told why the animal fell, although it could have been because its owner had placed too heavy a load on it. Whatever the reason, the owner could not help the animal by his own efforts and needed assistance to help raise it to its feet. In Exodus 23:5, Moses had set forth similar instruction that pertained to an enemy Israelite, saying, “If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying helpless under its load, you shall refrain from leaving it to him, you shall surely release it with him” (Ex 23:5). Again, this was likely a fellow Israelite who was a legal adversary. Whatever the relationship with a fellow Israelite (friend or foe), everyone bore a corporate responsibility to help the helpless, even animals. In the next command, Moses said, “A woman shall not wear man's clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman's clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God” (Deut 22:5). God created two genders, male and female (Gen 1:27), and these should be distinguishable in the sight of others. Whatever clothing a man or woman wears, it should not confuse their gender identity. In ancient Israel, men wore white robes, whereas women wore colored garments (Fruchtenbaum). Whatever the cultural practice—pants, dresses, tights, etc.—each person's gender should be identifiable when observed by others. In Canaanite culture, transvestism was associated with homosexuality as well as certain cult practices pertaining to idol worship. Both idolatry (Deut 5:7-9) and homosexuality (Lev 18:22; 20:13) were regarded as an abomination to the Lord. Earl Radmacher adds, “Cross-dressing was forbidden by God in ancient Israel. In the ancient Middle East, dressing in the clothing of the opposite sex was a magical practice intended to bring harm to people. For example, a transvestite male would predict that the soldiers of another army would be as weak as females.”[2] In the next command, Moses states, “If you happen to come upon a bird's nest along the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young; 7 you shall certainly let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself, in order that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days” (Deut 22:6-7). Here was an example of responsible ecological conservation. The rationale was that if an Israelite found a bird's nest and ate the mother along with her eggs or young, he would have destroyed an ongoing viable food source. Originally, God created Adam and Eve as theocratic administrators to “rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Gen 1:26). After the Noahic flood, God permitted the eating of animals, saying, “Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant” (Gen 9:3). Responsible dominion means caring for the environment and animals and not driving them to extinction. This not only protects the animals, but also preserves the lives of people, as it secures future food sources. The benefit of compliance would help God's people, “in order that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days” (Deut 22:7b). Victor Matthews states, “One might compare this with the prohibition against cutting down fruit trees in Deuteronomy 20:19–20. In both instances, future sources of food are preserved while an alternative is suggested for immediate needs.”[3] And Daniel Block adds: "While people who discover the nest of a wild bird have several options, Moses offers simple counsel: Israelites may take the eggs/fledglings, but they must spare the mother. Reining in the temptation to cruelty, verse 7 reiterates that if a mother bird is found with its young, the mother is not to be taken. The wisdom of this counsel is obvious: Taking the mother but sparing the young would have meant the death of all, for unhatched eggs and fledgling birds depend on the mother. Israelites are not to kill for killing's sake, nor to exploit natural resources without concern for the survival of the species."[4] Next, Moses states, “When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, so that you will not bring bloodguilt on your house if anyone falls from it” (Deut 22:8). Since Moses' audience had been living in tents in the wilderness for the previous 40 years, such property concerns would have been new to them. Rooftops in ancient Israel were flat and places where people gathered for fellowship (1 Sam 9:25; 2 Sam 11:2), as well as places to sleep on hot summer nights, as they would benefit from cooler winds that came from the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Daniel Block states: "Houses were often two-story constructions, with the lower floor housing animals and storing food stuffs, and the upper floor serving as the living quarters. Cooled by the breezes, flat roofs provided a third living space that residents could use for a variety of purposes. Without a barrier around the perimeter, people could step off the roof and fall to their deaths. The final clause of verse 8 holds the head of the household responsible for the life of anyone whose death is the result of negligence."[5] Israelites were to assume reasonable responsibility for those who visited their home, making sure their home environment was safe. Again, we see a sense of corporate responsibility within the Israelite community as it pertains to structurally safe homes. The next three laws prohibit mixing certain things together; namely, seeds in a field (Deut 22:9), animals for labor (Deut 22:10), and types of fabric for everyday use (Deut 22:11). In the first prohibition, Moses said, “You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, or all the produce of the seed which you have sown and the increase of the vineyard will become defiled” (Deut 22:9). The production of crops was not only intended for personal consumption, but for sacred use at the tabernacle/temple. Such a mixed crop was viewed by the Lord as defiled, which connotes its being ceremonially unfit for use by the priests. Warren Wiersbe states, “Keeping the various seeds separated when sowing the fields was also recognition of the principle of separation. It's possible that the pagan nations mingled their seed as a part of their fertility rites in connection with their gods.”[6] In the second example of keeping things separate, Moses said, “You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together” (Deut 22:10). Naturally, an ox and a donkey had different strengths, and it would be cruel for the lesser animal to be paired with a stronger animal and be required to pull a load greater than its ability. Daniel Block adds, “This practice creates a fundamentally incongruous image: the animals' anatomies require different types of harness and a drastically modified yoke to link the two; their unequal strength and stamina could cause the more vigorous to exhaust the weaker.”[7] Moses' third prohibition against mixing things was, “You shall not wear a material mixed of wool and linen together” (Deut 22:11). The meaning of this taboo is not given. Some scholars suggest this taboo was intended to separate the average Israelite from the Levitical priests, who were permitted to wear mixed fabrics. Daniel Block states, “Moses does not justify this taboo, even though it contradicts the prescriptions for the fabric of the tabernacle and the high priest's garments. While forbidden for laypersons, wearing garments of mixed fabrics was reserved for those who served in Yahweh's presence.”[8] The last directive in this pericope states, “You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of your garment with which you cover yourself” (Deut 22:12). This positive command reflects the command in Numbers 15:38-40 in which Moses intended the tassels to serve as a mnemonic device to help them remain conscious of their relationship with God and His commands. For Israelites, there was a triangular relationship between God, them, and the world around them. Their relationship with God impacted their personal choices (i.e., clothing), as well as their relationship with others (both friends and enemies), the earth (caring for their environment), and even animals, both domestic and wild. If their relationship with God was prioritized, it would result in the natural function and care of others as well as their environment. In this way, God's directives resulted in righteousness as it touched all aspects of life (Deut 16:20). Present Application As Christians, we are saved by God's grace when we trust in Christ as our Savior (John 3:16; Rom 4:1-5; 1 Cor 15:3-4; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5). Additionally, God selected us to “be holy and blameless before Him” (Eph 1:4). Elsewhere, Paul wrote to Christians, saying, “I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom 12:1-2a). And the apostle Peter wrote, “like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, ‘you shall be holy, for I am holy'” (1 Pet 1:15-16). But how are we—as born-again Christians—made holy in conduct? Living distinguished from the world occurs as we learn to walk with God and advance to spiritual maturity. The following steps are helpful. First, we must be in submission to God. Scripture tells us to “Submit to God” (Jam 4:7), and “present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Rom 12:1). Being in submission to God means we desire the Lord's will above all else. When this happens, God's Word opens up to us (John 7:17). Second, we must replace a lifetime of human viewpoint thinking with God's Word. Paul said, “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom 12:2). Other Scriptures support this idea (Psa 1:2-3; 2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:2; 2 Pet 3:18). As Christians, we cannot live what we do not know, and learning God's Word necessarily precedes living His will. A biblical worldview enables us to see our spiritual identity as children of God (Rom 8:15; Gal 4:1-5; Eph 1:3-6; 1 Pet 2:9-10), as saints (Acts 9:13; Rom 1:7; 8:27; 1 Cor 1:2; 6:1-2), and ambassadors of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 5:20) who have meaningful and eternal purposes in God. More so, biblically trained minds empower us to properly interpret the world in order to see it from the divine perspective. Cultural conformity is effectively resisted by believers who are “destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor 10:5). This means Scripture saturates our minds (Prov 3:5-6; Isa 26:3; Col 3:1), and we are not allowing our thoughts to be bogged down with the cares of this world (Matt 6:25-34). Mental discipline is necessary, for our psychological stability is often predicated on the biblical content and continuity of our thinking. Third, we must learn to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18), and to walk in dependence on the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:16, 25). Being filled with the Holy Spirit means being controlled by Him. It means we follow where He guides, and His guidance is always according to Scripture. Being filled with the Spirit does not mean we have more of the Spirit, but that Spirit has more of us, as we submit to His leading. It means the Spirit is fulfilling in us all He desires. Fourth, we must learn to live by faith in God and His Word. Learning God's Word becomes effective when mixed with our faith as we apply it to all aspects of our lives. Our faith is effective when God's Word is more real than our experiences, feelings, or circumstances. The writer to the Hebrews states, “But my righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him” (Heb 10:38), for “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Heb 11:6). Fifth, we must accept God's trials that help us grow. God uses trials to strengthen our faith and develop us spiritually. Often, we don't like hardship, but we must learn to accept it as necessary. For the Lord uses it to burn away the dross of our weak character and to refine those golden qualities consistent with His character. The growing believer learns to praise God for the trials, knowing He uses them to advance us spiritually (Psa 119:71; Rom 5:3-5; 2 Cor 12:7-10; Heb 12:11; Jam 1:2-4; 1 Pet 4:12-13). Sixth, we must restore fellowship with God through confession of personal sin. As Christians, when we sin, we break fellowship with God and grieve and/or quench the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30; 1 Th 5:19). Fellowship is restored when we simply confess our sin to God and trust that He forgives us as He promises (1 John 1:5-9). Seventh, we must maintain fellowship with other believers. Scripture teaches, “let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Heb 10:24-25). Spiritual growth does not happen in isolation, as God expects us to exercise our spiritual gifts for the benefit of others (Acts 2:42; Rom 12:10-13; 14:19; Eph 4:32; Phil 2:3-4; 1 Th 5:11-15). Eighth, we must serve others. We are part of the body of Christ and God calls us to love and serve each other. Peter states, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Pet 4:10). Ninth, pray to God. Prayer is essential to spiritual growth as we need to have upward communication with God to express ourselves to Him. Prayer is the means by which we make requests to God, believing He has certain answers ready for us, and that we just need to ask (Jam 4:2). Scripture directs us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Th 5:17), and “pray at all times in the Spirit” (Eph 6:18; cf. Jude 1:20). To pray in the Spirit means we pray in the power of the Holy Spirit as He directs and energizes our prayer life. Tenth, worship and give thanks to the Lord. The writer to the Hebrews stated, “let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name” (Heb 13:15). And Paul wrote to the Christians at Thessalonica, saying, “in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Th 5:18). To give thanks (εὐχαριστέω eucharisteo) is to have a daily attitude of gratitude toward God for His goodness and mercy toward us. Part of this attitude comes from knowing God is working all things “together for good” (Rom 8:28), because “God is for us” (Rom 8:31). Lastly, we must be wise stewards of the time and opportunities God provides us to advance spiritually. Paul writes, “Be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Eph 5:15-16). The believer does not reach spiritual maturity overnight, and since we have only a measure of time allotted to us by God (Psa 139:16), we must make sure our days are not wasted on meaningless pursuits, but on learning God's Word and living His will. (Eph 5:15-17; cf. Heb 5:12; 1 Pet 1:17; 4:1-2). [1] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne House, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1999), 256. [2] Ibid., 256–257. [3] Victor Harold Matthews, Mark W. Chavalas, and John H. Walton, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, electronic ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), Dt 22:6–7. [4] Daniel I. Block, The NIV Application Commentary: Deuteronomy, ed. Terry Muck (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 513. [5] Ibid., 514. [6] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Equipped, “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub., 1999), 154. [7] Daniel I. Block, The NIV Application Commentary: Deuteronomy, 515. [8] Ibid., 515.
As a Warrior, you are fighting the spiritual battle not for victory but from victory. God has already won the war in Christ. He's given you everything you need in Christ to see His victory lived out in every battle you enter into. But that begs the question:If the war is already won and we have all we need for the individual battles, why don't more Christians experience spiritual victory?The enemy is victorious in our lives because we are yielding the power to him by not standing firm in our identity in Jesus Christ. We are failing to firmly remain in the union we were designed to have with Christ, under His headship.As we see in today's passage, Jesus Christ holds all things together. Therefore, if you find yourself falling apart, it is a result of you not standing firm with Jesus in union with Him. Our union with Christ is essential to our victory over Satan's rule in our lives. We are in Him and with Him.When Jesus Christ died, we died with Him. When Christ arose, we arose with Him. When Christ was seated at the right hand of the Father, we were seated with Him (Eph. 2:6). In other words, we were made to function in union with Christ. Jesus has already beaten Satan. And you are in union with Him.God has given you everything you need to see His victory manifested in your own life. The means by which we see that victory is through the armor of God. And just like you wouldn't get partially dressed when you wake up in the morning before you head out the door, God doesn't want you to be partially dressed either.In Ephesians 6:10-20, Paul gives clear instructions about a specific wardrobe that is necessary for us to not only wear, but to also have packed and ready for us to pick up and put on if we are going to have spiritual warfare as a victorious warrior.
As a Warrior, you are fighting the spiritual battle not for victory but from victory. God has already won the war in Christ. He's given you everything you need in Christ to see His victory lived out in every battle you enter into. But that begs the question:If the war is already won and we have all we need for the individual battles, why don't more Christians experience spiritual victory?The enemy is victorious in our lives because we are yielding the power to him by not standing firm in our identity in Jesus Christ. We are failing to firmly remain in the union we were designed to have with Christ, under His headship.As we see in today's passage, Jesus Christ holds all things together. Therefore, if you find yourself falling apart, it is a result of you not standing firm with Jesus in union with Him. Our union with Christ is essential to our victory over Satan's rule in our lives. We are in Him and with Him.When Jesus Christ died, we died with Him. When Christ arose, we arose with Him. When Christ was seated at the right hand of the Father, we were seated with Him (Eph. 2:6). In other words, we were made to function in union with Christ. Jesus has already beaten Satan. And you are in union with Him.God has given you everything you need to see His victory manifested in your own life. The means by which we see that victory is through the armor of God. And just like you wouldn't get partially dressed when you wake up in the morning before you head out the door, God doesn't want you to be partially dressed either.In Ephesians 6:10-20, Paul gives clear instructions about a specific wardrobe that is necessary for us to not only wear, but to also have packed and ready for us to pick up and put on if we are going to have spiritual warfare as a victorious warrior.
Pastor Jeremy shares Sunday in Glendive. Wheaties slogan “The Breakfast of Champions” John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 1 Cor. 11:23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. The Body: Isaiah 53:4-5 ● Bore our grief ○ Misery ○ Anguish ● Carried our sorrows ○ Deep distress ○ Disappointment ○ Misfortune) ● Wounded for our transgressions ○ Acts of disobedience ● Bruised for our iniquities ○ Immoral behavior) ● Bore our sins ○ James 4:17 defines sin as one who knows to do good and does not do it ● Provides peace ○ Rescues us from chaos ○ Freedom from oppression ● Heals us ○ Psalm 103 who heals all your diseases ○ Physical ○ Mental The Blood: 1. Remission of sin (Matt 26:28) 2. Causes us to dwell w/ Christ 3. Gives life John 6:54 4. Purchased the Church Acts 20:28 5. Justifies us Rom 5:9 6. Cleanses us 1 John 1:6-9 7. Redeems us Eph 1:7 8. Brings us near to Him Eph 2:13 9. Speaks Heb 12:24 10. Sanctifies 11. Makes us overcomers Rev. 12:11
Freedom is God's ideal for humanity. Slavery is a deviation from God's original design. The first humans enjoyed life and freedom in the garden of Eden. God created them and their world, and He endowed them with the capacity to exercise responsible dominion over the earth (Gen 1:26-28). He also created the garden of Eden, placed them in it, and gave them the task “to cultivate it and keep it” (Gen 2:15). He assigned them to function as theocratic administrators. God's directives provided the framework within which their environment and freedom was maintained. Adam and Eve forfeited their freedom and blessings when they disobeyed God and followed Satan's directive (Gen 2:19-20; 3:1-7). Satan's kingdom of darkness was expanded to include the earth at the time when Adam and Eve fell into sin. Subsequent to the historical fall of Adam and Eve, all people—excluding Jesus—are born “slaves to sin” (Rom 6:6), under “the dominion of Satan” (Acts 26:18), who reigns over his “domain of darkness” (Col 1:13). Spiritual slavery became the norm for Adam and Eve, and new forms of slavery followed. Human slavery has been around for thousands of years and practiced by the ancient Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans. It continued throughout history in regions such as Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the Comanche Indians were known to attack and kill other tribes, steal their land, and enslave some.[1] Slavery was practiced for centuries in Europe, but was formally abolished in Brittan in 1833 and France in 1848. Thankfully, slavery in America was abolished in 1865 with the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. However, slavery continues today with more than 40 million victims worldwide and is practiced in countries such as Afghanistan, Africa, Cambodia, Iran, South Sudan, and Pakistan, just to name a few. The highest concentration of slavery today is found in North Korea.[2] Illegal human trafficking still exists in the U.S. with numbers ranging from 18,000 to 20,000.[3] Modern slavery represents a relational power structure between individuals and groups, as one seeks to control the other for personal gain, and this by means of force. The subject of slavery is extremely complex when one considers it throughout history, as not all slaves were treated the same. Even in America, some slaves gained their freedom, attained relative success, and then purchased slaves themselves. One example was William Ellison, a black slave owner who “was one of about 180 black slave masters in South Carolina at the time, most of whom were former slaves themselves.”[4] Often, we hear the ancient horror stories of forced labor in grueling conditions, rape, and early death. These stories are terrible and true. However, in some instances, slaves enjoyed protection within a family unit, married and raised children, engaged in business, and could purchase their freedom. In certain contexts, slaves had more privileges and benefits than many who were free and poor. Bartchy states: "Under Roman, Greek, and Jewish laws, those in slavery could own property, including other slaves! Some well-educated slaves bought children, raised and educated them, and recovered the tuition costs when selling them to families needing tutors. A slave's property was entirely under the control of the slave, who could seek to increase it for use in purchasing legal freedom and in establishing a comfortable life as a freed person."[5] In the ancient world, some became slaves when defeated in war, others were illegally kidnapped and made slaves, and many were born slaves. Again, sometimes these served in terrible conditions, whereas others were protected and cared for. In most societies, slaves were purchased to meet household needs, such as making clothes, preparing meals, tilling land, and housecleaning. More educated slaves served as tutors to household children, helping prepare them academically and teaching them social etiquette. It is historically noted that some sold themselves into slavery, and this to secure immediate clothing, shelter, and food, as well as the prospect of future freedom and social and economic advancement. Bartchy states: "Large numbers of people sold themselves into slavery for various reasons, above all to enter a life that was easier and more secure than existence as a poor, freeborn person, to obtain special jobs, and to climb socially…Many non-Romans sold themselves to Roman citizens with the justified expectation, carefully regulated by Roman law, of becoming Roman citizens themselves when manumitted. The money that one received from such a self-sale usually became the beginning of the personal funds that would later be used to enter freedom under more favorable circumstances, e.g., with former debts extinguished. Greek law also recognized the validity of self-sale into slavery, often with a contract limiting the duration of the enslavement. Such sales were frequent in the eastern provinces in imperial times. Temporary self-sale had been known in Jewish circles for centuries. Because of the reputation of Jewish owners for honoring Jewish laws calling for good treatment, many Jews who wished to sell themselves often could not find a Jewish purchaser."[6] In the OT, slavery was practiced long before Israel became a theocracy after their exodus in 1445 B.C. Joseph was sold by his brothers to Midianite traders (Gen 37:27-28), who sold him to an Egyptian named Potiphar (Gen 37:36). Israel, as a nation, became slaves to the Egyptians (Ex 13:3, 14). Eventually, God liberated His people from their Egyptian captors (Ex 20:2; Deut 6:12; 7:8). But slavery was never abolished as an institution in the ancient world, and Israelites were permitted to purchase slaves from other nations. Moses wrote, “As for your male and female slaves whom you may have—you may acquire male and female slaves from the pagan nations that are around you” (Lev 25:44). Unger states, “The Mosaic economy did not outlaw slavery, which was a universal institution at the time. It did, however, regulate and elevate it, imbuing it with kindness and mercy and, like Christianity, announcing principles that would ultimately abolish it (cf. Lev 25:39-40; Deut 15:12-18).”[7] Moses addressed a form of slavery in Deuteronomy that refers to a voluntary servitude in which a person worked for a period of six years to pay off their debt (Deut 15:12-18). In this situation, Israelites could sell themselves into the service of another for a period of time to pay off their debt. In addition to their freedom, they were to receive a generous severance package of livestock, grain, and wine, which was intended to jumpstart their own economic independence (Deut 15:12-14; cf. Ex 21:5-6). However, some made the choice to become a lifetime servant, and this occurred from a motivation of love, because their employer had been good and cared for them (Deut 15:16-17). The common Hebrew servant who surrendered his/her freedom to serve another was limited to six years labor and was guaranteed freedom in the seventh year (Deut 15:12-14; cf. Ex 21:1-2). And there were laws that protected slaves. For example, kidnapping for slavery was punishable by death under the Mosaic Law (Ex 21:16; Deut 24:7). If a slave was injured by his owner, the law demanded he be set free (Ex 21:26-27). This law would naturally limit abuse. And the Mosaic Law allowed for an Israelite slave to be redeemed by family (Lev 25:47-49a), or he could redeem himself if he acquired the means (Lev 25:49b-53). Lastly, Israelite slaves would automatically go free in the year of Jubilee (Lev 25:10, 40, 54). Slavery continued into NT times. There were Christians who were both slaves and slave owners (Eph 6:5-9). Paul wrote, “Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that” (1 Cor 7:21). He then stated, “he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord's freedman; likewise, he who was called while free, is Christ's slave” (1 Cor 7:22). All Christians in the early church, whether slave owners or slaves, were to regard themselves as slaves to Christ. Writing to slave owners at the church in Ephesus, Paul instructed them to “give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him” (Eph 6:9). Paul told Philemon to regard his slave, Onesimus, “no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, as a beloved brother” (Phm 1:16). Biblically, God does not call for Christians to reform society. This does not mean that societal transformation is not a concern for Christians. It is a great concern. However, we realize true and lasting transformation must occur from the inside out, as people are regenerated through faith in Christ and mature spiritually through learning and living God's Word. Where Christianity prevails in a society, institutions of slavery will naturally dissolve, and freedom will be maintained by a moral and just people. John Adams knew this very well and said, “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Sadly, we know from Scripture that the majority of people in the world will not accept Christ as Savior (Matt 7:13-14). Therefore, they will choose to live as slaves in Satan's world-system where his philosophies and values will predominate until Christ returns and establishes His kingdom on earth. As Christians, we are called to share the Gospel that people might receive new life and be liberated from Satan's slave-market. If a person rejects Jesus as Savior, then that person chooses to continue as a slave to Satan and his world-system. It's unfortunate, but it's their choice, and it must be respected. We cannot force them to be free. Slavery to sin is both a positional and experiential reality. Positionally, it means unbelievers belong to Satan and are referred to as his children (Matt 13:38; John 8:44; Acts 13:10; 1 John 3:10). Experientially it means unbelievers are slaves to Satan's philosophies and values which predominate in the world, as well as being in bondage to the sinful passions that spring from the fallen nature. Passions born of the sin nature can lead to various forms of bondage such as alcoholism, drug addition, gambling addiction, power-lust, approbation-lust, etc. Ultimately, unbelievers who reject God's offer of salvation through faith alone in Christ alone (John 3:16; Acts 4:12; 16:31; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5) will spend eternity with Satan and his angels in the Lake of Fire (Matt 25:41; Rev 20:10-15). Sadly, believers, who belong to Christ, can also fall victim to the passions of their sinful nature (Rom 13:14; 1 Pet 2:11; 1 John 2:15-16). Though believers are saved forever (John 10:28-30), they can forfeit their eternal rewards (Matt 5:19; 2 John 1:8). Those who are born again are saved the penalty of sin (John 5:24; Rom 6:23; 8:1), the power of sin (Rom 6:11; 8:13; 2 Cor 5:17), and ultimately the presence of sin (Phil 3:21; 1 John 3:2). The reality is we are all born into Satan's slave-market of sin and helpless to liberate ourselves (Rom 5:6-10; Eph 2:1-3). But God desires our freedom from Satan's domain, and He sent Jesus into the world to be our Liberator. Jesus was born without sin (2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15; 1 John 3:5), which meant He was born free. Furthermore, He maintained His freedom from Satan's domain by living righteously in the Father's will (Matt 5:17-18; Heb 10:5-8). Finally, Jesus willingly went to the cross and died a death He did not deserve. Jesus said, “For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). He willingly shed His blood on the cross as payment for our sin-debt. Jesus purchased our freedom. Paul told the Christians at Corinth, “You have been bought with a price” (1 Cor 6:20a; cf., 1 Cor 7:23a). Peter said our redemption was not “with perishable things like silver or gold…but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Pet 1:18-19). We can be free from Satan's tyranny if we accept Jesus' payment for our sin, believing He died for our sins, was buried, and raised again on the third day (1 Cor 15:3-4). Our salvation and entrance into the family of God introduces us to the possibility of greater freedoms and blessings, but only if we make good choices according to God's Word and advance to spiritual maturity. Our freedom is protected and maintained when we possess and live morally as God directs. [1] Native American History, Comanche War Raids, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGA_18W1U0Y [2] Helen Gibson, Modern-Day Slavery by the Numbers, https://lifewayresearch.com/2019/02/07/modern-day-slavery-by-the-numbers/ [3] The Women's Center, https://www.womenscenteryfs.org/index.php/get-info/human-trafficking/statistics [4] University of Richmond, Blacks Owning Blacks: The Story of William Ellison, https://historyengine.richmond.edu/episodes/view/6699 [5] S. S. Bartchy, “Slavery,” ed. Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1979–1988), 544. [6] Ibid., 543. [7] Merrill F. Unger, Unger's Commentary on the Old Testament (Chattanooga, TN., AMG Publishers, 2002), 130.
Christ's death, burial, & resurrection--His ultimate victory over sin and Satan--is our victory. Jesus Christ was our substitute, so now we can take ownership of all that He has accomplished in redemption. The Bible says that we were crucified with Him (Rom. 6:6), we died with Him (Rom. 6:8), we were buried with Him (Rom. 6:4), we were made alive with Him (Eph. 2:1), we were raised with Him (Eph. 2:6), and we were seated with Him in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6).
The main point of this pericope is that God chose and redeemed Israel because of the promise He made to their forefathers, which promise resulted in the nation’s liberation and covenant relationship. Moses opens this section, saying, “The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples” (Deut 7:7). Here, God’s love for Israel is seen in His choosing them to be His people; which love was in no way influenced by their greatness as a nation. In fact, they are said to be “the fewest of all people”, which implies their insignificance by human standards. But God did love them, and His love was in no way predicated on their worthiness (cf. Deut 9:4-6). God’s love is that inherent characteristic that motivates Him to act, not for self-interest, but wholly for the benefit of others. And this love can be tied from one person or generation to the next, as Moses states, “but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deut 7:8). God’s liberation of Israel from slavery in Egypt was a sign of His love for them. Some have questioned why God loved and chose Israel for Himself, and one liberal scholar states, “Maybe it was pure chance. Maybe God just tossed a coin. For whatever reason, God ‘chose’ Israel.”[1] Such flippant and dismissive comments portray God as one who acts randomly and arbitrarily rather than thoughtfully and intentionally. God’s selection of Israel was based on the oath He swore to their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Deut 4:37; 10:15). The Lord promised their descendants would become a great nation and possess the land of Canaan (Gen 17:7-8; 26:24; 28:13-14), so He brought them out of Egypt to fulfill His word (Deut 5:6; 6:12; 8:14), and thus He brought the nation into existence (Isa 43:15; cf. 45:11). Warren Wiersbe writes: "The Lord’s choice of Abraham and Sarah was an act of sovereign grace. They were idol-worshipers in Ur of the Chaldees when “the God of glory” appeared (Acts 7:1–3; Josh. 24:1–3). They had no children and yet were promised descendants as numerous as the sands of the seashore and the stars of the heavens. They later had one son, Isaac, and he had two sons, Esau and Jacob; and from Jacob’s twelve sons came the twelve tribes of Israel. When Jacob’s family gathered in Egypt, there were seventy people (Gen. 46), but by the time they were delivered from Egypt, they had become a great nation. Why did this happen? Because God loved them and kept the promises that He made to their ancestors."[2] God keeps His word, and His actions speak volumes. Based on this, Moses said to those Israelites before him, “Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Deut 7:9). As the only God that is, Israel was to know that He is able to accomplish His will (Isa 45:5-7), and to be faithful and keep His covenant promises indefinitely from one generation to the next with those who love/choose Him and keep His commandments. Moses used the Hebrew word חֶסֶד chesed—translated lovingkindness—to refer to God’s loyalty to the covenant and those in relationship with Him. Not only does God promise to bless Israel when they are faithful to Him, but He is also identified as One who “repays those who hate Him to their faces, to destroy them; He will not delay with him who hates Him, He will repay him to his face” (Deut 7:10). Here, the judgment falls solely on the Israelite who is in a bilateral covenant relationship with God and is obligated to live according to His commandments. Those who hate God have rejected His authority, and He will judge them individually for their disloyalty and disobedience. To enjoy God’s blessings and avoid His judgments, Moses told his hearers, “Therefore, you shall keep the commandment and the statutes and the judgments which I am commanding you today, to do them” (Deut 7:11). God had done everything necessary for the nation to be victorious and blessed. All Israel had to do was keep their part of the covenant agreement. As Christians, when we think about our relationship with God, we realize there is nothing special about us that would motivate Him to love, redeem, and reconcile us to Himself, which He accomplished by the death of Christ. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, saying: "For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God." (1 Cor 1:26-29) Before being saved, we were helpless sinners who were enemies of God (Rom 5:6-10), dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1-2), completely unable to save ourselves (Rom 4:1-5; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5). But Paul reveals God’s sovereign grace, saying, “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, ‘let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.’” (1 Cor 1:30-31). And elsewhere he states, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:4-6). And we were selected not just for a relationship, but “that we would be holy and blameless before Him” (Eph 1:4), “a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds” (Tit 2:14; cf. 3:8, 14; Heb 10:24). "As those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Col 3:12-15) [1] John Goldingay, Numbers and Deuteronomy for Everyone (Louisville, KY; London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010), 123. [2] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Equipped, “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub., 1999), 52.
In this pericope, Moses tells his people that God would bring them into the land of Canaan and they were to annihilate all the inhabitants and show them no grace (Deut 7:1-2), and avoid the temptation to intermarry (Deut 7:3), which would lead Israel into idolatry (Deut 7:4). After defeating their enemies, Israel was to destroy all their places and symbols of worship (Deut 7:5), for God had selected His people to be set apart for holiness (Deut 7:6). Moses opens his instruction with the promise that God would bring His people into the land of Canaan to possess it (Deut 7:1a), and would clear away “many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and stronger than you” (Deut 7:1b). Going into the land of Canaan was a collaboration in which God would lead them into battle and Israel would follow and serve as His instrument of judgment. The number seven in Scripture represents completeness, and the idea of listing seven nations was to reveal that Israel would face a full set of adversaries. It appears many of the residents listed are descendants of Canaan (Gen 10:15-19). Thomas Constable writes: “Moses mentioned seven nations that resided in Canaan here (v. 1), but as many as 10 appear in other passages (cf. Gen 15:19–22; Ex 34:11; Num 13:28–29; Judg 3:5). Perhaps Moses named seven here for rhetorical purposes seven being a number that indicates completion or fullness.”[1] Moses then states, “and when the LORD your God delivers them before you and you defeat them, then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them and show no favor to them” (Deut 7:2). The reference to Canaan’s “utter destruction” derives from the Hebrew חָרָם charam, which here means the residents of the region were to be devoted to extermination. Here was a divine pronouncement of guilt upon a people and culture that had become extremely corrupt. God had been gracious to the Canaanite people for four hundred years (Gen 15:14-16), giving them ample time to turn from their sin. Though God is very gracious and slow to anger (Psa 145:8-9), the time for grace had ended and their guilt required judgment (Gen 15:16; Lev 18:24-30; Deut 9:1-5). As mentioned from a previous lesson, the Canaanites were by no means a sweet and lovely people who spent their days painting rainbows on rocks and playing with butterflies. Rather, they were antitheocratic and hostile to God and His people and comprised the most depraved culture in the world at that time. For centuries the Canaanites practiced gross sexual immorality, which included all forms of incest (Lev 18:1-20; 20:10-12, 14, 17, 19-21), homosexuality (Lev 18:22; 20:13), and sex with animals (Lev 18:23; 20:15-16). They also engaged in the occult (Lev 20:6), were hostile toward parents (Lev 20:9), and offered their children as sacrifices to Molech (Lev 18:21; 20:1-5; cf. Deut 12:31; 18:10); much like modern day America. God told His people, “you shall not follow the customs of the nation which I will drive out before you, for they did all these things, and therefore I have abhorred them” (Lev 20:23). A similar command follows, as Moses states, “Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons” (Deut 7:3). Apparently, Moses knew there would be a temptation among the Israelites to take some of the Canaanite women as wives; and likely some of their sons and daughters faced this temptation as well. But God forbid it, saying, “For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods” (Deut 7:4a). God was Israel’s Ruler, and the danger of serving other gods was tantamount to treason. Such action would upset their relationship with God, and Moses said, “then the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you and He will quickly destroy you” (Deut 7:4). If the Israelites became like the pagan Canaanites in their idolatry, values, and behavior, then God would treat them with the same judgment. Eugene Merrill comments: "This drastic action was taken as a form of immediate divine judgment upon those who had sinned away their day of grace (cf. Gen 15:16; Lev 18:24–30). It also was to preclude their wicked influence on God’s covenant people who would otherwise tend to make covenant and intermarry with them (Deut 7:3) and adopt their idolatry (v. 4), something that, in fact, did take place because of Israel’s failure to obey the ḥērem decree."[2] Sadly, we know historically that Israel failed to obey the Lord (see the book of Judges), and the immoral culture spread among God’s people, who themselves began to practice all the evil things God hates (Deut 12:31), including idolatry and child sacrifice (2 Ki 3:27; 16:3; Psa 106:37-38; Isa 57:5; Jer 7:31; 19:5; 32:35; Ezek 16:20-21). Because Israel eventually became corrupt, God destroyed and expelled them from the land by means of military defeat from their enemies. This happened when the ten northern tribes of Israel fell to the Assyrians in 722 BC and the two southern tribes of Judah fell to the Babylonians in 586 BC. Not only was Israel to defeat their enemies, they were to remove the vestiges of their pagan culture from the land, lest it became a temptation to them. Moses said, “But thus you shall do to them: you shall tear down their altars, and smash their sacred pillars, and hew down their Asherim, and burn their graven images with fire” (Deut 7:5). Eugene Merrill states: "The 'sacred stones' represented the male procreative aspect of the Canaanite fertility religion; and the Asherah, the female. Asherah was also the name of the mother goddess of the Canaanite pantheon, the deity responsible for fertility and the productivity of soil, animals, and humankind. She was represented by either an evergreen tree or by a pole that also spoke of perpetual life. The cult carried on in their name was of the most sensual and sordid type, one practiced in the temples and also under the open sky at high places and in groves of trees. Prominent in its services was sacred prostitution involving priests and priestesses who represented the male and female deities."[3] Moses then concludes this pericope, saying, “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (Deut 7:6). To be holy meant the nation was to be set apart to the Lord and be distinct from the pagan cultures around them. Israel was a chosen people with a special calling, and this required they know God and walk with Him, for they were His own possession. Jack Deere comments: "The basis for the command to destroy the Canaanites lay in God’s election of Israel. The word translated chosen means “to be chosen for a task or a vocation.” God had selected Israel as His means of sanctifying the earth. Thus, they were holy (set apart for God’s special use) and were His treasured possession (cf. Deut 14:2; 26:18; Psa 135:4; Mal 3:17). Since the Canaanites were polluting the earth, and since they might endanger Israel’s complete subordination to the will of the Lord, they either had to repent or be eliminated. And as stated, for 400 years they had refused to repent."[4] God always calls His people to holy living, which means we are to be set apart for service to Him. It means conforming our lives to His righteous standards of thinking, speaking, and living. By living as God expects, we will not conform to the values and practices of whatever culture we live in. In contrast, we will call for others to know the Lord as well and, once saved, to conform their lives to Him, that they too might walk as children of light. As Christians, God “chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him” (Eph 1:4; cf. 1 Pet 1:15-16). This means we are to “lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (Eph 4:22-24). As we learn to walk with God, we will manifest the virtues of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control” (Gal 5:22-23). [1] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Dt 7:1. [2] Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, vol. 4, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 179–180. [3] Ibid., 180. [4] Jack S. Deere, “Deuteronomy,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 276.
God is omnipotent—all-powerful. You can tap Into this power. The power to overcome any adversity “I can do all things through Jesus Christ who gives me the strength” (Phil 4:13). You have access to God's unlimited resources. Use them by gaining wisdom and insight through the knowledge of Jesus Christ. “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him” (Eph 1:17). The mature believer with a divine viewpoint can soar over the circumstances of life. “He gives power to the faint and to him who has no might, He gives him increased strength” (Is 40:29). “Nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). Fear neutralizes the power of God. Fear is you assuming unassigned responsibilities. Full Transcript: https://rhem.pub/gods-power-75984 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rick-hughes/message
The Central Idea of the Text is that God delivered Israel through Tola and Jair, but after they died, Israel again chose idolatry rather than service to God, and the Lord punished them according to His covenant promises, and delivered them according to His mercy. Both Tola and Jair were judges in Israel, and it appears their leadership produced stability and blessing for 45 years (Judg. 10:1-5). During the time of peace, Israel failed to grow spiritually, and eventually turned away from the Lord and served the Baals and Ashtaroth, which were the pagan deities of Aram, Sidon, Moab, the sons of Ammon, and the Philistines (Judg. 10:6). God punished Israel for their idolatry (Judg. 10:7-9). But Israel cried out to the Lord for deliverance (Judg. 10:10; 15), and though He initially answered them with a rebuke, citing many past deliverances (Judg. 10:11-14), eventually their misery moved Him to act (Judg. 10:16). “It was not their repentance that he found impossible to ignore, but their misery. Only the Lord’s pity stood between the Israelites and utter ruin. They deserved to be abandoned, but (such is his mercy) he could not give them up (cf. 2:18; Ho. 11:8–9).”[1] After Israel repented and God relented concerning His anger, Israel then gathered their military forces to battle the Ammonites (Judg. 10:17-18). In the next chapter Jephthah is chosen to fight against the Ammonites (Judg. 11:1-11), and he judged Israel six years until his death (Judg. 12:7). It seems Samson was a contemporaneous judge with Jephthah and was used by God to fight against the Philistines (see Judges Chapters 13-16). We learn from Scripture that God is very patient with people, both unbelievers and believers (Ex 34:6; Num. 14:18; Ps. 86:15; Neh. 9:17; Jonah 4:2). God is patient with the unbeliever that he/she might come to know Him through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:1-2; Col. 1:19-20; 1 Tim. 1:15-16). God is also patient with us as believers and gives us time and opportunity to advance to spiritual maturity, which can be hastened by trials (Rom. 5:3-5; 2 Cor. 12:7-10; Jam. 1:2-4). We tend to desire a life of comfort, but such a life often produces weak character. God desires that we have a godly character, and this occurs when we have biblical values and consistently make good choices that are pleasing to Him (Eph. 4:1-3; Col. 1:9-10; Heb. 11:6). [1] D. A. Carson et al., eds., New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), 277.
Salvation is the work the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus’ atoning death on the cross propitiated the Father’s demands toward our sin (Rom 3:25; 1 John 2:2), and we come with the empty hands of faith, trusting in Christ alone to save us (John 3:16; 20:31 Acts 4:12). The gospel is the good news “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3-4). Good works should follow salvation, but they are never the condition of it (Rom 4:1-5; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5). Once saved, the Lord calls us to “be holy and blameless before Him” (Eph 1:4), and to engage in “good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Eph 2:10). As Christians, we are to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col 1:10), for He instructs us “to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” (Tit 2:12), and to be a people “zealous for good deeds” (Tit 2:14). Our loyal obedience to God is in appreciation for all He has done for us. It’s a “Thank You” response to His grace and goodness. As an added benefit, God promises future rewards to the Christian who walks in His will. But, to be clear, not all rewards are the same, as they are given in proportion to the life of obedience. When Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount to His disciples (Matt 5:1-2), He said, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt 5:11-12). A reward (Grk μισθός misthos) denotes “a recompense based upon what a person has earned and thus deserves.”[1] Though salvation is free and simple, eternal rewards are earned. A little later, Jesus explained that there will be distinctions in heaven based on the believer’s obedience or disobedience to His will, saying, “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:19). Being IN the kingdom of heaven connotes an end of life location, as this will be the final resting place for all believers. But the distinctions of being “least” or “great” in heaven are the result of the believer’s disobedience or obedience to God, and their instructing others to do the same. Paul taught the Christians at Corinth that we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and be evaluated for our works. Paul was a “wise master builder” who shared the gospel with others and laid the foundation, which is Christ (1 Cor 3:10-11). Paul spoke of the believer who “builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw” (1 Cor 3:12). The composition of material is distinguished between what is precious and what is worthless. And a day is coming, when “each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work” (1 Cor 3:13). And if the “man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward [Grk μισθός misthos]” (1 Cor 3:14), being justly compensated for his work. However, “If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss [of reward]; but he himself will be saved [eternally], yet so as through fire” (1 Cor 3:15). The phrase suffer loss translates the Greek word ζημιόω zemioo, which means “to experience the loss of something, with implication of undergoing hardship or suffering, suffer damage/loss, forfeit, sustain injury.”[2] The apostle John also taught that rewards can be lost if the believer succumbs to false teachers (2 John 1:7-8). Jesus taught that we should look to the future and think in terms of storing up rewards in heaven, saying, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:19-21). We all spend our time, efforts, and resources investing in something we consider will bring a good return on investment. Biblically, there is no greater investment to be made than learning and living God’s Word, and instructing others to do the same. The growing Christian thinks more and more about investing in God’s work, realizing he/she will receive an eternal reward from the Father. After the Rapture of the church to heaven (John 14:1-3; 1 Cor 15:51-53; 1 Thess 4:13-18; 2 Thess 2:1-3a; Tit 2:13), believers will be judged for their works (Matt 5:12; Rom 14:10; 1 Cor 3:10-15; 2 Cor 5:10). As Christians, we are to inspect our own fruit and not the fruit of others. For this reason, Paul comments, “why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God” (Rom 14:10). All Christians “must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Cor 5:10). This judgment is not to determine who gets into heaven, for that problem has already been settled by Christ, who died in our place and bore the punishment that rightfully belongs to us. Rather, the judgment is to determine rewards for eternity. “The question is often raised how one’s sins can be forgiven and yet one’s deeds reviewed at the judgment seat of Christ. Forgiveness concerns justification; the review concerns rewards, and after the review is made there will be no sorrow or tears because there are none in heaven.”[3] "Rewards are offered by God to a believer on the basis of faithful service rendered after salvation. It is clear from Scripture that God offers to the lost salvation and for the faithful service of the saved, rewards. Often in theological thinking salvation and rewards are confused. However, these two terms must be carefully distinguished. Salvation is a free gift (John 4:10; Rom 6:23; Eph 2:8-9), whereas rewards are earned by works (Matt 10:42; cf. Luke 19:17; 1 Cor 9:24-25; 2 Tim 4:7-8). Then, too, salvation is a present possession (Luke 7:50; John 5:24). On the other hand, rewards are future attainment to be dispensed at the second coming of Christ for His own (Matt 16:27; 2 Tim 4:8). Rewards will be dispensed at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10; Rom 14:10)."[4] We don’t know what many of the rewards will be. That is for Christ to determine and dispense at that time. However, we are aware of crowns that will be given to some who are faithful, such as: the imperishable crown given to those who exercise self-control in godliness (1 Cor 9:24-27), the crown of exaltation for those who bring others to Christ (1 Thes 2:19), the crown of righteousness to those who love His appearing (2 Tim 4:7-8), the crown of glory given to elders who faithfully execute their service in the church (1 Pet 5:4), and the crown of life given to those who endure testing because they love the Lord (Jam 1:12; cf. Rev 2:10). In the future, there is a heavenly description of “twenty-four elders who will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne” (Rev 4:10). These will cast their crowns as an expression of worship to the Lord, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created” (Rev 4:11). If crowns are only given to those who live righteously, then this means some will have greater capacity for worship than others, as what we give is in proportion to what we have. This rewarding is a display of God’s righteous character, for “God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints” (Heb 6:10). As Christians, we know our “toil is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor 15:58), and that we will reap what has been sown during our lifetime (Gal 6:7-8). For this reason, Paul says, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary” (Gal 6:9). God graciously permits us to share in His work on earth, and then rewards us for our participation. God’s rewards are a reflection of his goodness and He is pleased to give them, like He does all good things. Eternal rewards manifest His glory in our lives, and will be manifest in the Church, the Bride of Christ, at His second coming (Rev 19:8). OT saints will be rewarded as well (Dan 12:1-3), perhaps at the Second Coming of Jesus, alongside the saints who survive the Tribulation, whose “deeds follow with them” (Rev 14:13). These are evaluated just prior to Jesus’ millennial kingdom, in which He separates the sheep from goats (Matt 25:31-46), to determine who will enter the kingdom and reign with Him (Rev 20:4-6). Whether OT or NT saints, all believers will be judged as Jesus declares, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done” (Rev 22:12). Unbelievers will be judged after the millennial kingdom, but theirs is a judgment for eternal suffering (Rev 20:11-15). And it appears from certain passages in Scripture that some unbelievers will suffer more than others (Matt 10:15; 11:20-24; Luke 12:47-48; John 19:11). Since God is just, it would make sense that punishment for unbelievers would be in proportion to the degree of how sinfully they lived after rejecting the gospel. Summary: Christ has secured our salvation through the substitutionary atoning death of Christ who shed His blood at the cross and propitiated every righteous demand the Father has toward us (Rom 3:25). Having trusted Christ as Savior (John 3:16), we now have peace with God (Rom 5:1). However, after salvation, God expects us to learn His Word, live righteously (Tit 2:11-14), and encourage others to do the same (Heb 11:24-25). After the Rapture of the church (1 Thess 4:13-18), all Christians will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to be evaluated for how we lived our lives (2 Cor 5:9-10). This evaluation is not a judgment concerning the Christian’s right to enter heaven as the place of eternal residence, for Christ has secured our salvation and there is no fear of condemnation before God (John 3:18). Rather, it is a judgment concerning eternal rewards for the life we’ve lived in service to Christ (1 Cor 3:10-15). Apparently, we must stay the course in faithfulness, otherwise we run the risk of losing part of our reward (2 John 1:8). Those who learned God’s Word, lived His will, and taught others to do the same, will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. But those believers who disobeyed God’s Word and taught others to disobey as well will be called least in the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:19). [1] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 490. [2] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 428. [3] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, A Survey of Bible Doctrine (Chicago: Moody Press, 1972). [4] Merrill F. Unger, “Rewards,” ed. R.K. Harrison, The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988), 1080.
In John 15 we have the Lord's blueprint for the "abundant life" (John 10:10) He promised each of us. And no, that life doesn't involve expensive cars or vacation homes or buckets of cash or having Your Best Life Now! The abundant life in Him is defined by being able to bear His fruit, and bearing it in ever-increasing quantities. Or, like Jesus said, "more fruit", then "much fruit", and finally "fruit that will remain". Consider the following: "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." (John 15:2) "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples." (John 15:8) "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you." (John 15:16) Unless the church fully understands the importance of bearing the fruit of Christ, the Vine, this incredible teaching of Jesus will have little meaning or lasting effect on our lives. Or on the lives of those we try to influence with the Word, our spouse, our friends, our parents, children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren. We must come to a clear understanding that the only purpose for the branch, the only reason you and I were created and chosen in Him (Eph. 1:4), is to bear the fruit of the vine. And the only one who benefits from the fruit we bear, is the Vinedresser, the Father. The one key to hearing "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matt. 25:23), is our commitment to being nothing but branches, committed totally to bearing His fruit. As we said last week, there is no other way. But, How Do We Bear His Fruit? The key to bearing His fruit is tied up in the single word, abide. Last week we defined the word abide (ménō) as to "remain, dwell, live", but always, in John's writings, with the idea of a relationship in view. However, in John 15, the definition of abide (ménō) expands to mean "to be and remain united with Jesus, one with Him in heart, mind, and will, and to remain steadfast, unwavering in that relationship.” That understanding of abide (ménō) puts this entire passage under a new, incredible light. So how do we bear His fruit? Or what part do we play in this divine equation? Simple, abide. It's hard to do in real life, but it's simple, nonetheless. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me." (John 15:4) "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned." (John 15:6) "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you." (John 15:7) "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love." (John 15:9) “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love." (John 15:10) Remember, this is only the beginning. If you can capture the joy of abiding in Him as a dependent branch, a life of abundant joy (John 10:10) is right around the corner. So buckle up! The following is a study on John 15:4-6 on How to Bear His Fruit. To download the slides to this message, click - HERE
In this episode we discuss...Church picnics and other events like them!How should a pastor act at a church picnic?There is no Script!There are some principles to follow, however.Is our mandate as a disciple and shepherd ever on a break?Shepherds are never off duty, because neither Christ nor the enemy take a break.This life isn’t ours. It’s God’s! We are merely stewards of the time, talents, and resources He has entrusted to us.What does Scripture say about this?I am a child of God 24/7. (Eph. 3:20)I bear God’s image 24/7. (Genesis 1-2)I am to manage God’s assets 24/7. (Genesis 1-2)I am a sojourner and alien 24/7. (1 Peter)I am called to glorify God 24/7. (1 Cor. 10:31)I am called to do the good works He prepared before Him (Eph. 2:10)The listener question we answer this week:Phineas from Finland, “There is a member of my congregation who has begun to contact me too frequently. I often receive multiple texts, emails, and phone calls each day and am not sure how to handle the situation. Most of the communication is negative and comes across as drama. I don’t want to offend or hurt this person, but I am starting to resent them. How can I love them yet redirect them?”Links for our Top Two's:IBCD Counseling VideosSpiritual - Systems/Processes/Guides/SOPS/RemindersLine 6 HX Effects and HX Stomp Patch from Worship TutorialsRotating Your TiresCONTACT (give us feedback, topic ideas, or just say hey)Call and leave a message at (570) 724-3741Email: ruralpastorstalk@gmail.comWebsite: http://ruralpastorstalk.buzzsprout.com/SOCIAL MEDIAFacebook: http://facebook.com/ruralpastorstalkTwitter: @ruralpastorsLISTENItunesSpotifyStitcherGoogle Play
Season 2: Ep 2 - “Don’t Label Me” We put labels on life all the time. ‘Right,’ ‘wrong’, ‘success’, ‘failure’, ‘lucky’, ‘unlucky’ may be as limiting a way of seeing things as ‘diabetic’, ‘epileptic’, manic-depressive’, or even ‘invalid’. What is labeling? A verb meaning assign or attach to a category, especially inaccurate or restrictive Ways in which we are labeled? Our job Our physical appearance Our material possessions Our religion Our race Our social media persona Our social status Why do people label? Is it because going beneath the surface may take us to uncomfortable places? That going deeper into the core of our own or someone’s being may threaten our beliefs or challenge our expectations? What are some of the labels I have been given? Bad liar adulter thief stupid selfish narcissist Good Honest Open Faithful Giving Genius Selfless Strong How do labels make me feel or affected me? Negative Hurt Depressed Reduced self-esteem Abnormal Stolen identity Oppressed Boxed in Limited Positive Reinforcement Encouragement (Gideon) Enhanced self-esteem Positive outlook Identified Empowered In both cases, labels can create a self-fulfilling prophecy If I am not a label or a “brand” what I am I? You are an original creation! I am a new creation in Christ (2 Cor 5:17) I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps 139:14) I am God’s workmanship (Eph 2:10) I am alive with Christ (Eph 2:10) I am complete in Him (Col 2:10) I am holy and without blame before Him (Eph 1:4) I am greatly loved by God (John 3:16) I have the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16) I am chosen by God (1 Peter 1:23) My body is a temple of the Holy Spirit; I belong to Him (1 Cor 6:19) Thanks for listening! Please leave us a 5-star rating if you enjoyed this episode! Please visit our sponsor's page and check out their products at www.fitculturecrew.idlife.com If you have any questions regarding today's message, desire prayer or have a suggestion for an upcoming podcast please contact us at info@nspirelifeministries.org and visit our website at www.NspireLifeMinistries.org #BreakThrough #Label #lies #DontLabelMe #Godslove #Identity #truth #patience #Muscle #MuscleModel #Model #Fitness #Fear #MeToo #SpiritualMuscle #StayingPower #Gym #Thrive #Marriage #Winning #Bikini #Bodybuilding #Identity #SelfMade #GodMade #BeTheLight #Salvation #Kingdom #KingJesus #NspireLife #Podcast #Walk #Faith #Freedom
The Holy Spirit lives in you - 1 Cor 6:19 The Holy Spirit equips us to live supernaturally - 1 Cor. 2:4 The Holy Spirit fills us with more of Him - Eph. 5:18
Episode 120 Our Greatest Enemy What is our greatest enemy? Is it Satan? The World? Those who say they hate Christians? While these may bring us afflictions and trials from time to time, I don’t think they are really our greatest enemy. I think our greatest enemy is ourselves separate from Christ. In order to see this, we must come back to Calvary and what Christ Jesus did on the cross. God judged the entire human race according to Adam at the cross and put it away from Him. It was infected with sin and beyond repair. Nothing in the old creation could be rescued, so God began a new race in Christ. This race would not fail because it is based on what God can do, not what man can do in himself. To enter into this new race we must be born again. In new birth we are joined with Christ and now all things are of God. To begin and continue in this new creation is God’s answer to sin, death, and the limitations of man separate from Him. God judged Adam’s race at the cross (Gal. 2:20,6:14, Rom 6:6) God began a new creation in Christ Jesus (Gal. 6:15) Now all things are of God (Gal. 5:16-21) To experience this we must be born into this new creation (John 3) We now must grow up into Him (Eph. 4:15, 2 Peter 3:18) We are called to walk in His life (Gal. 5:16) This walk is a walk of faith in His life (Col. 2:6) If we do not walk in faith in the new creation, what we are accord to Adam rules Our natural reasoning rules (what we know from past experiences) Our desires rule (flesh) Our emotions rule Our personality rules The world rules us by its pressures The enemy appeals to what we are in ourselves (“be your own resource”) God bids us acknowledge that apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5) This is a continual walk of faith in the life of God (Gal. 2:20) Additional resources at http://www.ntchurchsource.com/ Theme song “Will Your Anchor Hold” sung by J. Ashley Milne Comments and questions welcome. Email David@AnchorOfTruth.com
When we read the reason God gave each of us spiritual gifts, we find they are an expression or representation of the Holy Spirit to a lost world in dire need of Him. Think about it, the Holy Spirit lives in each of us as a deposit or guarantee of our future inheritance in Him (Eph. 1:14). In essence, no Holy Spirit, no salvation. And because the Holy Spirit now lives in each of us, He also graciously gives us certain gifts that come from Him. Some of these gifts we readily embrace. Others we feel less than excited about. But regardless of our personal feelings about what the Holy Spirit has blessed us with, we are given these gifts for the benefit of others. They are to be used for others as a clear expression of Him who now lives in us. Consider the following: 1 Corinthians 12:7 – But the manifestation (expression, to make visible or observable) of the Spirit (Holy Spirit) is given (to bestow, to give freely of one’s own accord and with goodwill) to each one (to each and every one separately and individually) for the profit (benefit, advantage, usefulness, help, to bring together for the benefit of another) of all. Does this also apply to the "gifts of healings" and the "working of miracles" in the verses that follow? What about tongues and the interpretation of tongues? How about the gift of discerning of spirits? Now it gets a little squirrely, doesn’t it? Do you have questions about these gifts? Are you wondering how your experience lines up with the Scriptural teaching about spiritual gifts? Do you feel confused and somewhat in the dark when it comes to these controversial gifts? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Most of the church feels the same way. Want some answers? Then keep listening. The following is a study on 1 Corinthians 12:9-10.
Episode 47 Overcoming all things in Christ The promises of God to the churches in Revelation are to the overcomers. What does it mean to “overcome”? How do we overcome all things? We all face trials of one kind or another, and I think each one of us wants to triumph in these trials. God has made a way for us to do this in Jesus Christ our Lord. It is important that we understand how God has designed for us to go through the trials of this life in victory. It is not by strength of character or determination. It is not a matter of just believing that everything will work out ok even though we don’t understand. Our victory is based on what Christ did. He overcame all things, and we overcome in Him. • We do not overcome because o We just believe everything will work out ok o We just try to follow the example of Christ o We try to explain everything by our natural reasoning • The basis of our victory is the victory of Christ at Calvary o He overcame all things (Rev. 3:21) o Christ destroyed the power of the enemy at Calvary (Col 2:8-23, esp. vs 15) o Christ now is seated at the right hand of God--authority over all (Eph. 1:20, Heb. 8:1) o If we are “in Christ” then we are seated with Him (Eph. 2:6) • The basis of our victory is abiding in Christ (union) o We must first enter into this union by the Spirit o We cease from our efforts (will power), trying to please God on our own o Acknowledge our complete dependence on Christ (death to self) o Resting by faith in Him, His grace, wisdom, and strength o Obeying when He speaks and light comes • Victory is in very practical things o Over sin (a heart of righteousness to do the will of God) o Brings our whole self under God’s control (mind, desires, emotions, words, deeds) o Makes us a channel of God’s grace to others o Keeps us in peace in the midst of the storms of life o Strength to keep going when the flesh wants to give up o Ability to stand in truth when pressed to compromise o Wisdom when there seems to be no way o Love in the face of hate o A thankful heart, even in trials o Worship in the midst of sacrifice • Additional resources at http://www.ntchurchsource.com/ • Theme song “Will Your Anchor Hold” sung by J. Ashley Milne • Comments and questions welcome. Email David@AnchorOfTruth.com
This week, we begin our study on Concentration (samādhi), this is the still, focused mind we develop through meditation and mindful living. It is the 4th of the 5 powers, and a strong tool in our awakening to God and things as they are.Mindfulness develops Concentration, and Concentration causes us to experience the deep interconnectedness of all things and the basic joy and peace that is our natural state. In this state of Concentration, we are closest to the Holy Spirit, and are most capable of hearing the Still, Small Voice of God, our gentle and subtle Guide.“For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him (Eph 1: 15-17).”A Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation of ChristWisdom is the gentle guidance of the Unseen, as well as deep understanding of our own interconnectedness. Revelation is the naked awareness of things as they are, when the veils are pulled back and we see things clearly.What is it that we are trying to see?“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven (Colossians 1:15-20 (NASB)). ”Christ Jesus is the creator of all things. From the laws of physics to the subtle energies of our psyche, all things were created through him and for him. He is the One holding all things together. Any and all experiences of the sublime interconnectedness and interbeing of all things is a direct experience of Christ.Have you looked out at a starry night or the dawn breaking over a hill and felt this connection to all things? If you have, you experienced Christ. In meditation, and we focus our awareness, and the artificial walls drop away, and we feel ourselves connected to the cosmos in the place of peace and unity. That is an experience of Christ.Through our Lord, all things are reconciled because on the cross, Jesus stood in the gap between life and death, faith and doubt, hope and fear. Choose any pair of opposites and you will find them in the crucifixion. But he did not just stand there, he transcended them all. In that singular moment of sacrifice, he demonstrated and conquered the strained duality of the world, and opened the way for the reconciliation of all things in him.In our walk with God, we seek to live this wisdom, and behold this marvelous revelation that all things are interconnected. This is the Gate to ZionAs we awake to this wisdom through these revelations of the interbeing of all things, we start to learn how to live in the kingdom. We see that how we treat everyone and everything has an effect on us. We stop living the lie of separateness.Life in Zion is living in the revelation that we are all interconnected, and reconciling all things to the whole. This is the path of Peace and Compassion. This is the wellspring of Courage that can conquer all fear.Sit, meditate. Focus on your breathing, and gently return your focus every time it wanders. Enter the Gate. Enter the peace that passes all understanding. Invite Christ into your heart, and live in his Sacred Heart. This is the path. This is Salvation. Not only for our souls, but for the whole world. Get full access to Creation's Paths at www.creationspaths.com/subscribe
The second talk in the Christ the King Member Class, given on Sunday, October 12, 2014, by Barbara Morgan, Director of Religious Education, Christ the King Catholic Church. Barbara speaks about God's plan for us, a plan that includes being holy and blameless before Him (Eph. 1:4), which is the fruit of our love relationship with Him. Dcn. Dan Foley introduces the talk and makes some closing remarks. The Christ the King Member Classes are a series of talks for members of the parish discussing what is expected of parishioners. These classes are open to all parishioners, but especially those who have joined the parish in the last several years. Keywords: holiness, love, thanksgiving, sacraments, grace, mercy
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