Nourishment in the Lord's Supper

Ephesians 5 states that Jesus cherishes and nourishes the church. Nourishment is necessary for growth.

Ephesians 4 states that we as Christians are to grow into the exact image of Jesus Christ.

Jesus nourishes us so we can grow into him and be just like him.

Usually nourishment means food so it shouldn’t be surprising that Jesus uses food in the Lord’s Supper to represent himself and that in eating that representation we turn into him.

Of course the Lord’s Supper is just a figure for what Christians should be literally doing… consuming everything we know about Jesus (as found in the scriptures) and transforming ourselves into him by thinking and behaving just like he did.

When we take the Lord’s Supper we are proclaiming to the world two sacrifices. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the sacrifice of our old selves.

The Lord’s Supper should never be just some mundane thing we do by rote but should be a reminder as we eat the bread and drink the cup that we need to transform ourselves.

Thanksgiving and the Lord's Supper

Thanksgiving is a feast that celebrates God’s bountiful care in providing food and sustenance for us.

The Lord’s Supper feast is also a feast of thanksgiving. It celebrates God’s gift of life for us.

I read somewhere that the average cost per person for Thanksgiving is about ten dollars.

The bread and the wine of the Lord’s Supper in comparison cost just a few pennies. The real cost of the Lord’s Supper however is much, much higher. It’s the cost of our lives.

If someone told you they were going to kill you but would spare your life for whatever money you had in the bank and for whatever you could sell your goods for you would pay it.

If you had a million dollars in the bank you would empty it out and give it to spare your life. If you had properties and possessions that were worth another million you would sell those too. The real cost of the Lord’s Supper is whatever you value your life at because Jesus traded his life for yours.

So whenever you are taking the Lord’s Supper you remember that and remember that the life Jesus gave was far more valuable than yours and mine and thank God with all your heart for the bounty he has blessed us with.

Thanksgiving celebrates things that preserve our physical life. The Lord’s Supper celebrates the death of Jesus Christ and the preservation of our eternal spiritual lives.

Bible Tests

I was messing around with my mother the other day and I told her that I had talked to the Lord and found out what the entrance requirements were to get into Heaven. I told her that she didn’t have to worry about doing good works because it was going to be a 100 question Bible knowledge test and you had to get them all right and there was no grading on the “curve”.

Mom said… Oh?

I continued that I knew one of the questions… what were the names of Isaiah’s sons? She said she didn’t know and I told her she better start studying for that test.

Bible study is good and profitable but at some point it has to translate into action and providing a light to others through unselfish living.

One of the questions I have is how much Bible do you have to know to be a good Christian? It probably varies from person to person according to their ability.

I know people who have been Christians all their lives and just can’t seem to retain many Bible concepts but they live incredible lives interacting and caring for the needs of others.

I thought about that 100 question test thing because sometimes I think I see an over emphasis (if that’s possible) on Bible study and an under emphasis on daily living as a Christian. We need to have balance in our spiritual lives.

When I was in Veterinary School I was taught a lot of things and took many, many, tests but my real education started when I started applying that knowledge in the practice of Veterinary medicine. Someone told me one time that my greatest teacher was that little dog looking across the exam table from me. Think about that.

Let’s study our Bibles and use that knowledge to interact with others. That’s a combination that will make you wise.

Prepare for War. Eph 4 & 6

There are two sections of passages in Ephesians that use different pictures to describe spiritual maturity.

The first, Eph. 4:12-16, describes growing spiritually until we look just like Jesus Christ. Like him…we’re engaged in the work of service to others, we’re rock solid on doctrines, we speak truth in a relationship with love and we’re active in a relationship with other Christians, i.e. the church.

The other section is Eph. 6:10-18. This section portrays the spiritually mature Christian as a soldier. The soldier is fully armored and weaponed to wage war against an enemy… the Devil. The Christian soldier has his loins protected with truth, a breastplate which is righteousness, feet protected with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, a shield of faith, a helmet of salvation and a sword which is the word of God.

The Christian soldier also employs prayer for himself and his fellow soldiers.

God calls for his people to develop spiritually both as individuals and as a collectivity of Christians. We are soldiers and we are an army led by a great general… Jesus Christ. Rev. 1:13-16 and 5:5 describe Jesus not as a passive lamb waiting to be sacrificed but as a lion prepared to wage war against Christians and churches who are not maturing spiritually like they should be and instead are being led astray by Satan.

Our great general wants great soldiers and a great army to wage war against the dark forces of evil led by Satan. If you aren’t wearing your armor or if you have forgotten your sword you aren’t much help and could be mortally wounded.

Parables... Virgins and Talents

Matthew 24-25

This section begins with Jesus prophesying about the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 with undertones of the Day of Judgement. Then we read of two parables before we get to a section that is definitely talking about the final Judgement Day.

In the final Judgement Day Jesus specifically details the requirements for entering the eternal kingdom. Namely… feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, taking in strangers, clothing those who need clothes, visiting the sick and visiting those in prison.

So now let’s look at the parables.

The first one is the parable of the 10 Virgins. They had a job… one job… to carry oil fueled torches to lead the bridegroom into the wedding feast. The problem was that the bridegroom didn’t come when they expected. 5 of the Virgins were prepared for that eventuality… they brought extra oil. They got to go into the marriage feast. The others didn’t.

The bridegroom is Jesus, the Virgins are Christians and the wedding feast is Heaven. You have to be prepared when Jesus comes. You have to have enough oil when Jesus comes. The oil is helping the hungry, thirsty, strangers, unclothed, sick and prisoners. You can’t stop engaging in those activities and rest on your laurels or like with the 5 foolish the door to the wedding feast will be slammed in your face.

The second parable is about the 5, 2 and 1 talent men. Their master trusted them with money based on their ability and then came back for an accounting. The 5 and 2 talent doubled their money and are invited to “enter into the joy” of their Lord. The one talent man is too lazy to work for the master and returns his investment to him. The master cast the 1 talent man into “outer darkness” Jesus is the master, the servants are Christians. Entering into the masters Joy is Heaven and being condemned to “outer darkness” is Hell. The investment the master makes in them is the investment Jesus makes in us.

The investment is helping the hungry, thirsty, strangers, unclothed, sick and prisoners.

To sum it up Christians need to be continually doing good because they don’t know exactly when Jesus is coming. In addition, God has an investment in us that is guaranteed to produce if we will just try. That’s all he asks is effort.

Heaven and Hell are waiting. Choose where you want to go by your actions. Don’t be lazy.

Entering the Promised Land

Joshua 5:1-15.

There are some interesting things that happened to the Israelites after they crossed the Jordan River and before they conquered the city of Jericho.

Here are my thoughts.

When God parted the river of Jordan and closed it behind them there was no going back… even if they wanted to. There was just one path forward and that was the direction they were headed. One of the first things that God commanded them to do was to circumcise all the males who had not been circumcised over the past 40 years. After this minor surgical procedure God announces “today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you”.

Let me suggest that the “reproach of Egypt” refers to the Israelites rejection of God when they didn’t believe they could conquer the Promised Land 40 years previously. They had rejected God. Therefore that whole generation of Israelites who had been circumcised in Egypt had to die and a new crop of Israelites who were not born in Egypt but were born in the wilderness had to be raised up. When this new generation was raised up, they were circumcised, not in the wilderness, but on the soil of their promised homeland.

Circumcision was necessary because it was God’s mark on them that validated his promise to Abraham that he would give them a land. They were circumcised because he was about to fulfill that promise. Then the Israelites celebrated the Passover. Let me also suggest that this Passover feast had not been celebrated over the past 40 years. So on the proverbial eve of conquering the first city-state of Jericho he was reminding them of what He had done to the Egyptians and the unstated but fully understood message was that he was about to do the same to the Canaanites. The Israelites could not have been celebrating the Passover because they had no unleavened bread… they had been eating manna. The next day God quits sending the manna.

And thus begins the conquest of Canaan. The transitory phase where God sustained the Israelites for 40 years in the wilderness was over. A new generation of Israelites freshly circumcised, celebrating God’s Passover memorial and fully energized to accomplish God’s promise to Abraham stood on the brink of destiny.

Boldness in Prayer

1 John 5:14-21 is a section of scripture that describes the “boldness” we have toward God. Verse 14 states that if we ask in prayer anything that is “according to his will” that he will grant that request.

Then in verse 16 the author gives an example of what we can pray for “according to his will”. If we see a fellow Christian committing a certain type of sin… (fornication, drunkenness, pride, etc.) we can pray for them, whether or not they are sorry, and God will give them time to repent. And that’s the kind of prayer God will answer 100% of the time because it is “according to his will”.

However, there is a type of sin that a fellow Christian can commit which we should not pray for and expect a positive answer. In the text that sin is called “ a sin unto death”. Let me suggest that this is the sin of Blasphemy. In the broader context you have Christians teaching that Jesus Christ was not the actual Son of God and that he had no deity existing in him. That is the sin of Blasphemy… insulting God by saying He is not God.

Christians were not supposed to pray for these Anti-Christ Christians… because they were guilty of Blasphemy. Oh we might pray for them but don’t expect God to perform like he promised to for Christians who sin but are not blasphemers.

We have great boldness as Christians because we can pray for other Christians and God will give them time to repent. That is a powerful gift and a powerful weapon against Satan and there is no time limit on it. We should be boldly praying for the souls of our fellow Christians who occasionally stray every single day.

Remember the example of Jesus as he was hanging on the cross…. Father forgive them because they don’t know what they're doing.

Interpreting Scripture: Understand Purpose

When interpreting a passage of scripture its alway best to have some understanding about the purpose of what’s being written.

For instance in 1 John 5:1, “Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God…”

OK, without giving some consideration to why the letter was written we might conclude that anyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and the only thing we have to do is believe. Boom…. I believe therefore I am born of God and have a one way ticket to Heaven.

That would be a wrong conclusion for several reasons.

1 John was written was because there were Christians teaching that Jesus was not the Christ. They started with an incorrect premise. They reasoned that since all human flesh is sinful and deity cannot have anything to do with sin that deity could not dwell in a human body. Therefore Jesus had no deity in him… he was not the Christ.

OK so knowing that… let’s interpret the verse again. Whoever believes that deity indwells within Jesus is born of God. Those who do not believe that Jesus is the Christ are not born of God and are false teachers and false believers.

So the belief in this passage is used to contrast the belief of Christ-ians with the Anti-Christ-ians.

So you see the importance of understanding why a scripture was written and to not make some hasty application that might have disastrous consequences. After all Satan and his minions believed correctly that Jesus was the Christ but they were not “born of God” were they?

Why 40 Days in the Wilderness?

The first thing Jesus did after he was baptized and had received the Holy Spirit was to go to the wilderness to allow Satan to tempt him. We get some details about that temptation.

Satan thought he had found a weak point and was going to put his finger on it and suggested to Jesus since he hadn’t had a thing to eat for 40 days that Jesus should turn a stone into a loaf of bread and eat it.

The thing I want you to notice about this is that Jesus had the power to turn a rock into bread and he could have done so and enjoyed a meal with Satan but Jesus, unlike a lot of humanity, wanted nothing to do with Satan.

So Satan decides next to tempt Jesus with power and showed Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and offered Jesus authority over all of them if he would only do one small thing… bow down before Satan and worship him. A lot of humanity wouldn’t give that a second thought. They would drop right to their knees and revere Satan for the power to control all the countries of the world and think that they had pulled one over on old Sate.

Jesus wouldn’t do it because it was wrong to give something to Satan that only belonged to God and nothing Satan could offer was worth offending God. We’re quick to engage in things that are wrong because we know God loves us and is forgiving. Be careful you might get tangled up in that rope. You belong to God don’t give what is God’s to Satan.

The last desperate attempt of Satan was take a stab at Jesus’ pride. Satan led with a scripture this time. He quoted Psalm 91 in which the promise is made that God would send angels to protect his righteous one from harm.

With this scripture Satan invited Jesus to Jump off the highest point of the Temple to see if God would send angels to protect him. Jesus answered with Deuteronomy 6:16, “Thou shall not make trial of the Lord your God”. You don’t have to accept every challenge that is thrown at you. You can walk away.

Why did Jesus start his ministry by allowing Satan to tempt him?

Because he knew that when believers began their ministry after being baptized that Satan would attack them too. And to show them that it is possible to be tempted by Satan and to conquer him. Gather yourself up and get about your spiritual business and don’t worry and moan about Satan. He is a coward and you can beat him… just like Jesus did.

Baptism in the Holy Spirit and in Fire

In Luke 3:16-17, John the Baptist after baptizing the people in water promised that Jesus Christi would baptize them in the Holy Spirit and in Fire.

John explained what these two baptisms were by comparing them to an agricultural harvest. Harvested grain was scattered over a “threshing” floor and the grain would be threshed to separate the grain from the chaff or hull. Then the grain would stored in a barn and the chaff would be burned up.

The grain are God’s faithful people, the chaff are the unfaithful. The thresher is Jesus Christ.

This sort of reference when applied to humanity must refer to a separation of people… the good being “stored” or gathered into Heaven and the bad being “burned” or destroyed with “unquenchable” fire and being consigned to Hell.

Therefore, within this context, “Baptism in the Holy Spirit” must refer primarily to the faithful being gathered into Heaven and the process that ends in that event. And “Baptism in Fire” must refer to God’s punishment of the unfaithful.

God’s blessings begin with baptism and end (so to speak) with eternal life.

God’s curses begin with being outside of God’s family and end with eternal punishment.

Acts 2:38, “Repent and be baptized … in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”.

Teaching the Creation on a Cruise Ship

On our recent cruise in the Baltic I was talking to two of the crew members in the dining area. They were men in their early thirties and were in some sort of managerial position. One was from Romania and the other was from Serbia.I was entertaining them with a few jokes and was about to tell them my joke about how God created Eve. I always preface that joke by asking if they are familiar with the account of creation. I was dumbfounded when they said they were unfamiliar with how God created the world. Incredulous I persisted... you know, God created all the animals, he made the earth in six days? They said they had never heard that story. I asked them if they were some kind of muslim... they said no they were Christians but they didn't really read the Bible or attend church. Incredible!!!

So I got to teach the story of creation to two grown men on a cruise ship. I'm praying they start reading their Bibles.

Unforgivable Sins

In 1 Samuel 2 we read of two priests named Hophni and Phineas. They were sons of the main priest Eli. Hophni and Phineas were evil priests… they took the sacrifices the people offered and used them for themselves… they stole from God. In addition, they were having sex with some of God’s women servants.

Their father Eli had heard the reports about his two sons and confronted them about it. Here’s what he told them….

“Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good. If one person sins against another, God may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will intercede for them?”

Now get this, all sin is against the Lord because he instituted the Law, but there is a type of sin against other people for which there is a sacrifice and another sin against God for which there is no sacrifice.

Blasphemy, or speaking against God, is one of those sins for which there is no sacrifice. There was no “I’m sorry” or “here sacrifice this lamb for my sin”. It required an instant death penalty. In fact that was the charge made against Jesus… that he blasphemed the name of God by claiming to be God.

OK, this information clears some things up for me.

In Acts 5 Ananias and Sapphira are killed by God… why? Because they lied and stole from God when they held back part of their offering. Hmmm, that’s a lot like Hophni and Phineas.

In Acts 12 God kills King Herod… why? Because Herod accepted the praise of the people after his oration. They said… “the voice of a god and not of a man” Herod blasphemed by accepting that praise and God killed him for it.

In Matthew 12 when Jesus (In conjunction with the Holy Spirit) cast a demon out of a man the Pharisees said he did it not by the power of the Holy Spirit but by the power of Satan. They Blasphemed the Holy Spirit and Jesus said that it was an unforgiveable sin (Just like Eli told his sons Hophni and Phineas) because they sinned against deity.

Most of our sins are against other people… fornication, theft, untruthfulness, etc. But it is possible to sin directly against God and have no hope at all unless God chooses to extend mercy. Choose the path to conquer all sin because that path leads to eternal life… but I’m warning you don’t sin directly against God.

Last Letters

Near the end of the Apostle Peter’s life he sat down and composed a letter to a group of Christians. The letter wasn’t about himself or really anything about his life. It was about encouraging them to keep the faith so that they could inherit eternity.

Recently Julie and I were on an airliner and we were going through some rough weather and the pilot announced we were low on fuel and he was going to have to divert to another airport. As we were going through that rough weather I considered that this might be my last day on earth so I opened up the messages on my IPhone and started composing my last words to our children.

Peter’s last words to his spiritual children were to get busy and be diligent about developing their Christian character. He also warned them about false teachers who might lead them down the wrong path and shipwreck their faith.

He told them not to worry but to have confidence in God and if they would follow the path he had set out for them all would be well.

When I was on that airplane my last words to my children were about how proud their mother and I were of them and to tell our grandchildren how much we loved them. I told them to do their part in keeping our family strong and cohesive and lastly I told them to trust in God… to study his word everyday and to lead their lives by it.

I’m sure the people Peter wrote these words to were friends of his and that at his death they remembered his last words to them and treasured them. We should also treasure Peter’s last words and hold them dear to our hearts and not be lazy in our faith but to get busy. Those are timely words just like the words of a father to his children.

I hope God blesses each and every one of you.

Angels from God

There were two times God the Father sent angels to help his Son… after the 40 days of fasting in the wilderness when the Devil had tempted Jesus and in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was in distress anticipating the torture he would have to suffer.

These were arguably the two most dramatic and challenging times in the life of Jesus. One was the deprivation of his physical body screaming for the nutrients it needed (that he had denied it) and the other was his emotional anxiety screaming for calm and peace and self control in the face of physical torment at the hands of others.

In both cases God sent angels to administer relief.

2 Peter 2:9 assures us that God knows how to deliver his people out of temptation. That’s very reassuring because sometimes our bodies are so wracked with pain and disease that it can affect our behavior towards others and sometimes we suffer depression, anxiety and emotional distress which also affects our behavior..

Trust what God said… he knows how to deliver us out of temptation and he knows the things we suffer from and he might… just might, send Angels to help us. Just like he did with his Son Jesus Christ.

Memories and Parts

One of the things I recognize about myself is that I have a short memory and I’ve come to realize that a short memory is both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because generally I don’t remember the wrongs people have done to me and it’s a curse because generally I don’t remember the good either. As my wife says every day is a brand new day for me.

I know people who are just the opposite… they remember everything bad and good. I guess that’s a blessing and a curse too.

I read a psychology book the other day where a Psychologist made a diagnosis that his patient suffered from “memories”. The patient couldn’t let go of the horrible things that had happened to them and those memories caused both an emotional and a physical affect upon them.

One thing God’s word tells us is that he can cleanse our consciences for us and he provides several mechanisms to achieve that. I’m not saying that it’s easy or that it happens overnight but I believe everything that God says and believe that he’s a great healer.

I guess the best way to be is to have a short memory of the bad things folks have done to us and a long memory about the good things they’ve done for us. I’ve got a feeling that God has forgotten all my short comings and treasures the good things I have done. Oh to be like him.

We’ve all got parts. God has his part and we have our part. Take a look in the scriptures and learn your part and all will be… well with you.

Lost Friendship

Several years ago at Parkway when I was a young Deacon one of the Elders took me under his wing and showed some interest in me. We would go visit members who needed to be visited and plus we were just good friends… we ate together, we fished and we played dominoes. And then one day some trouble visited the church and he and I ended up on opposite sides of it. We were never in direct conflict with each other but it changed our friendship.

Shortly after that he retired and moved off. I missed the comradeship I had with the old man but I guess what I missed more was just calling him on the phone and talking… I still miss that. I was afraid he didn’t like me anymore and it bothered me… bothered me a lot. I asked a close friend what I should do and they said… “If he liked you he would call you”.

But then I thought… that’s a two way street and decided I don’t care if he likes me or not… I still like him and I’m going to call. Boy howdy I’m glad that I did because it was just like old times. We would talk about the church and the people and I cherished that I had my old friend back.

The old man is dead now and has been dead for a while but I haven’t forgotten him and I’m glad that I did something to make his last years a little easier.

If you’re walking in the same shoes I was you might give some thought to doing a simple thing like picking up the phone and making a call it can be awfully good medicine for a broken relationship.

Baptism Necessary for Salvation?

One of the doctrinal discussions among Christians today is whether baptism is necessary for salvation or not. Some cite John 3:16 and say the only necessary thing is belief and relegate baptism to just a formality that can be done whenever someone is in the mood to do it.

Others cite scriptures like Acts 2:38 which in part states that one must repent and be baptized to be saved. So which is correct?

Let’s look at it a different way… can one be saved without having the Holy Spirit? Take another look at Acts 2:38… “Repent and be baptized… and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”.

Now let’s back up and see what happened to Jesus when he was baptized (Mt. 3:16). When Jesus was coming up out of the waters of baptism the Spirit of God descended upon him as a dove. Jesus received the Holy Spirit at the time of baptism and immediately began his ministry.

Nothing in the scriptures is recorded by accident. Everything has a meaning for us.

For those wanting to be saved today... you can’t be saved without God’s Holy Spirit and you can’t get that until after you believe and are baptized.

Follow the example of Jesus.

Faith is Like a Seed

Matthew 13:31

“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

I don’t know much about Mustard seeds but I do know about acorns and Oak trees. Imagine you found an acorn and didn’t know quite what it was. Oh, you knew it was some kind of seed but didn’t know what the seed would produce so you planted it beside a creek. Time goes by and some sixty years later you visit that creek again and lo and behold there is a grand old Oak tree. An Oak with a big old trunk and massive branches that spread so far that it seemed like it would take three days just to walk around it.

You notice that all kinds of birds are roosting in it. Squirrels gather the acorns and deer eat what’s left on the ground. During the heat of the day the cattle find rest under its shade. Travelers rest under the tree and camp at night. You’re amazed at what that little acorn had become and how it had blessed the rest of nature.

Jesus didn’t speak this parable to teach people about growing trees. He taught it to show what the seed of Faith can do in our lives. Faith in Jesus Christ is like that acorn. You might not have a real clear idea of what it will grow into when it’s planted in your heart but given time you’re likely to be amazed at how it can change your life. .. and the lives of others.

Imagine being married to a godly wife and raising children who love and respect you. Imagine what it would be like if everyone around liked and respected you. Imagine what it would be like if God chose to bless you with all the good things life has to offer, all because He loves you as an obedient and faithful son. And lastly imagine what it would be like if the day you died everyone gathered to pay their respects to you and the building wouldn't hold them all. And your children and your grandchildren cried their eyes out because they wouldn’t be able to see your gentle and loving face again this side of heaven.

You might give some thought to how you want to live and die in this life and consider planting that seed in your heart. Give it a little water from time to time and do some weeding around it and above all… trust in God. And get ready for God to amaze you.

Intellectual Dishonesty

Congregations are shaped by their teachers and preachers. Since most congregations have just one preacher then he has a tremendous shaping effect on the congregation where he preaches.

If that preacher is intellectually dishonest then the congregation has a tendency to be composed of those who have a low scriptural I.Q. or those who are apathetic towards the scriptures. Those who have a high scriptural I.Q or who truly care about God’s word won’t tolerate intellectual dishonesty and will look for another church.

Examples of intellectual dishonesty would include agenda based teaching. That is… having an opinion about something and gathering and massaging scriptures to support that opinion. Here’s another… if there is a scriptural dilemma and both sides have merit, only present the side you agree with and ignore the other view.

When I was a young Christian (and had a low scriptural I.Q.) I would listen to the preachers and teachers and take their arguments and go out and wage war with the denominations. Some of the time, the arguments were leaky and wouldn’t hold water and I would stand there looking like a spiritual idiot holding an empty bucket. That’s because I was shaped by someone who was intellectually dishonest or scripturally naïve themselves.

The goal for congregations should be to honestly examine the scriptures and to encourage those with different views to speak up so those views can be considered. Otherwise we might end up with a congregation that is spiritually inbred and that ends up with severe and crippling spiritual defects and handicaps.

Satan the Cowardly Lion

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8.

Resist the devil, and he will run away from you. James 4:7

The Devil is a coward… always has been and always will be. He looks like a Lion to the weak but those who are strong know how to handle him. Boo Satan… run away.

Two Things About God's Word

In 1 Peter 2-3, we read of responsibilities that Christians have toward Government, Masters/employers and spouses. The section culminates with these words… “and who is he who will harm you if you are excited about doing good”.

God’s word does at least two things for us; it prepares us for heaven and it teaches a way of living so we can live peaceably on this earth.

The Government may oppress you but generally not if you respect their authority.

Masters/employers may oppress you but generally not if you are a hard worker.

Husbands may oppress you but generally not if you respect their authority and are subject to it.

Living a Christian life can protect you generally from the harm others may inflict upon you. In addition, the Christian way of life is a powerful tool and Satan is afraid of it because it leads other people to God and away from Satan. Satan... the cowardly Lion.

Patient Faith

When Joseph was about 17 years old his brothers took him and threw him into a pit and conspired to kill him. At the last minute some slave traders came by and they sold him into slavery. Eventually he ended up in a land far away from his home and was sold to an Egyptian.

I’m sure Joseph was very emotionally troubled by all this and had a lot of questions. What had he done to deserve such treatment? What did the future hold in store and where was God in all this?

Twenty-two years later when Joseph was about 39 years old his brothers came to Egypt looking for food because there was none where they lived. Eventually Joseph revealed who he was to them. They were terrified at his power and how he might punish them. But that’s not what happened. Instead he told them…

“ Do not be distressed and angry with yourselves, because it was to save your lives that God sent me ahead of you…. it was not you that sent me here but God”.

Sometimes bad things happen to us and we have a lot of questions about how God our Father could allow such things to occur. Some even lose their faith in God. The faithful (like Joseph), while not understanding the reason for what’s occurring, never lose their faith and confidence in God.

Joseph’s attitude was that the troubles he was going through were for some greater purpose and he had that confirmed to him 22 years after he was sold as a slave.

The next time we are having some troubles remember Joseph and wait for something great to happen. God uses his people to achieve great things and he rewards them.

Joseph and Keeping Pure

Joseph was a much favored slave in the home of Potiphar. He had been bought and paid for but because God and his blessings were with Joseph… Potiphar recognized Joseph’s abilities and elevated him to a level of friendship and partnership.

Somewhere along the way Potiphar’s wife recognized Joseph for other reasons and invited him to have sex with her. It must have come as a surprise to her that Joseph declined. My guess is that Mrs. Potiphar had never been rejected before.

In declining her offer Joseph tried to reason with her, he explained that her husband had been so good to him that he could not betray him and even more importantly could not betray God who had been even better to Joseph than Potiphar had been. But she was beyond reasoning. Every day she tried to entice him to have sex with her.

Lessor men would sooner or later have sex with her. That’s what she wanted why not give it to her? But Joseph believed in God and that belief propelled him to resist her and not be in a situation where he was alone with her. He was acting with his brain and not his hormones.

But one day Mrs. Potiphar set a trap for Joseph, she dismissed all her household servants and waited for Joseph to come in to attend to his duties. No doubt she was dressed in a revealing way and looked good and smelled good. Once more she grabbed his cloak to prevent him from leaving and begged him to go to bed with her but Joseph slipped out of his cloak and got away.

Realizing that despite her best attempts she would never have sex with Joseph she made up a story and accused him of attempted rape. If she couldn’t get him one way she would get him another way. And so Joseph went to prison.

I’m convinced that Joseph was no different than any other young man. He liked women and was attracted to what God had created for man but he also knew there was a line he could not cross.

Joseph is a great example for young men today. There is a class of women today who are very sexually aggressive whose only desire is to use their charms to achieve sexual victory over God’s people and over the spouses of God’s people… undoubtedly as agents of Satan.

Don’t sin against your body which is a temple of the Holy Spirit. Don’t sin against a husband and most importantly don’t sin against God who has done so much for us. Use the brains that God gave you and control yourselves.

How to Find A Church

First of all when looking for a church it helps to have a little Bible knowledge. After all there were several New Testament churches that God was not happy with. Not happy at all. So it makes sense to see what kind of church God did not like.

You should want to be a member of a church that will help you grow as a Christian. That kind of church will hold you accountable for when you are falling a little short and encourage you to do better. When you do good they’ll slap you on the back and be so proud of you and it will make you feel so good you’ll want to do even better.

You should also want to be a member of a church that doesn’t tolerate open and willful sin. I see plenty of churches where men and women are living together outside of vows of marriage. Thats just not right. God doesn’t like it and neither should we and you shouldn’t want to be part of a church that tolerates anything like it.

When you look at a church look at it’s people. A church ought to have people in it that have some long marriages in. People who are true to their vows. Sometimes divorce can’t be helped but a church should have some marriages in it that have weathered some storms. A Church should be full of friendly welcoming people. Hospitality is big with the Lord… real big. If a church doesn’t care about you when you visit, chances are she won’t ever care much about you after you are a member there. A Church ought to be full of people who have great Bible knowledge. After all it is just one book isn’t it? God’s people should love God’s book and know it inside and out.

In short look for a church that is producing people who look like Jesus Christ. If it’s not then, well… it’s not much of a church.

True or Fake Faith?

In 1 Peter we read a letter that was written to Christians who were having their faith assaulted by persecution and trials.

In the first chapter we read of three actions of faith. In verses 4 and 5 Peter tells them that they have an inheritance that no one can take away because God is guarding their promised salvation through their faith. No one could take away their salvation (including Satan) because God promises protection to the faithful.

In verse 7 we read that faith is proved through the overcoming of trials and temptation. What happens if faith consistently fails in the face of temptation? It’s not faith… it’s fake faith because it has failed the test.

In verse 9 we read that we can receive “the end of our faith”… the salvation of our souls. Faith has a beginning and it has an end. It can’t stop half way through the race it has to cross the finish line to reach the prize of salvation.

There are three actions of true faith. True faith carries with it God’s promise of protection. True faith overcomes trials and temptations and true faith continues to the end to receive salvation.

Only true faith results in salvation. Don’t be deceived by the fake faith that Satan peddles.

Jerald Brooks Memorial

Gratitude

Back when dad was alive he and mom used to mentor and help several young families. When we were moving mom out of her home I had the opportunity to read some of the personal letters of gratitude that were sent to my parents. One family had a young child that died of leukemia another family had some drug problems, another was about to lose their home, etc. In the end several of these families got things straightened out and in turn… help other people.

Recently a woman and her adult child traveled from Houston to Bulverde just to see mom. They brought food and visited with her and went to church with her. My brother is the one who reported this to me and he said the woman told mom… “you were always my rock”.

It stirs my heart just to think about it and encourages me to be involved in the lives of others… and I hope it encourages you. Mom is going to be 80 years old this year and I dread losing her but knowing that so many love her and care for her is very heart warming. Thank you for not forgetting about her.

Guaranteed Seed

Matthew 13:23 is the last part of a parable that describes the effect God’s word has upon the hearts of men.

“And he that was planted upon the good ground is he that hears the word and understands it: who bears fruit and brings forth one hundred fold and sixty and thirty.”

I used to think that to be fruitful meant that I had to have some notches on my belt that represented people I had helped save from Satan. That is “converts”. So I was very motivated and can say that I helped lead many to the waters of baptism because I was worried that if I didn’t there might be a problem with my salvation.

What I see now is that God’s seed, that is his word, is perfect and when planted in the right soil conditions can’t help but be productive. It will produce… guaranteed… every time.

Just be a Christian. Live the life. Work hard to be just like Jesus Christ and you can’t help but be fruitful and productive. Our part is to believe and obey. God will take care of the rest.

A Different Kind of Race

Usually when you run a race you run just for yourself and ignore all the other runners unless they get in your way. The race that Christians run is a little different. In this race the runners help the other runners when they don’t feel like they can run anymore.

The author of the letter to the Hebrews was administering God’s chastening (12:7-11). That was part of his race… the responsibility that all Christians have for each other. To help the runners who don’t think they can keep on running. To re-direct the ones who are running the wrong direction. And to encourage them to finish the race by reminding them of all the others who had already finished their race.

The reality is if you are helping others… you’re running pretty good.

Run the Race

In Hebrews 12 we read that the life of a Christian is like a race. Not a race with one winner but more of a marathon type of race where you win by just completing the race.

These Hebrew Christians were failing in the race. They were carrying extra things with them that weighted them down and didn’t allow them to run freely. Their knees and legs were getting tired. Moreover they were getting distracted by sin and doubt. Some of their Jewish friends were encouraging them to re-route back into Judaism. It was attractive to them. The memory of it was better than the reality of it. And they had lost patience in the race. They thought the race would be shorter and easier. They thought that Jesus was waiting just around the corner to gather them up into Heaven. But every time they rounded the corner they just saw more race track.

The author encourages them to look at someone else who had run a race… Jesus Christ. He ran his race and had joyous times and hard times. He chose to allow himself to be nailed to a cross. He allowed people to verbally insult him. But he had *patience* and *joy* because he knew than in a few short days he would be sitting right next to God the Father himself. And whatever happened before that was hard but OK because the glory and happiness of eternity was waiting for him.

Sometimes we make this life bigger than what it is. It’s kind of like driving to Corpus Christi from San Antonio. San Antonio is a big city but when you’re watching it in your rear view mirror it gets smaller and smaller until you can’t even see it and Corpus gets bigger and bigger the closer you get to it.

Our race starts when we arise out of the waters of baptism and doesn’t finish until we take our last breath. Run to Jesus Christ and don’t let anything distract you or get in your way.

Evangelism Cap

This is a raccoon skin cap that I like to wear when it gets really cold. It draws a lot of attention because it is made from a real raccoon and the hat maker preserved the coons features on it (even the ears). Today after visiting some members Larry, Scott and I went to Starbucks before the evening services to drink a cup of coffee. A young couple walked in and the young man said, "that's an incredible hat". I let him try it on and his fiance took a picture. I introduced Scott and Larry and mentioned something about church. He asked where we went to church and I told him and asked him where he went to church? He said with a sad look on his face that they weren't going anywhere. I invited him to visit us at Parkway. He agreed. Sometimes you need a prop to start a conversation. Once the conversation is started you can usually figure out a way to turn it to God. Anyway now I call this cap my "Evangelism Cap".

Creating Closer families

A few years ago I created four private family Facebook pages; The family of Weldon and Nell Perkins, The Family of Charles and Naomi Norris, The Family of Clarke and Nellie Bedwell and the Family of Julian and Thelma Jackson.

I started with the Perkins family group because I wanted a format where we could share family stories and such like that we couldn’t share with anyone else because they might view us as martians or something worse. The world is really not ready to hear the shenanigans that go on in our family. My other motivation was to have a format whereby we could reconnect with each other and draw our family closer to each other (scattered as we are).

I then created the other family groups to help those families. The Norris family is my mother’s family. The Bedwells and Jacksons are Julie’s family. I do most of the posting on those pages, sharing old family photos and letters and things going on in our lives. Other members of the families have gradually started posting.

The end result is our families are closer. Family members have become “friends” on Facebook who have never met each other. When we had the big Perkins family reunion in San Diego this summer, I heard several people say to each other… “you know I have never met you but I feel like I know you because of our friendship on Facebook”.

This year we have gotten Christmas cards from family members that we have never gotten before. The in-laws of the Perkins family say things like “I have always wanted to be part of a big happy family”. Julie’s annual family reunion in Kansas has benefited. Many of them have told me… “thank you for helping to make our family closer”. Being the rascal that I am they take great pleasure in making fun of me. That common activity also makes them closer.

When we got together at my brother Greg’s house for thanksgiving the three Patriarchs (Me, Scott and Greg) each gave a message to our family. Mine was that the Perkins family was special, that although we might occasionally have “issues” with each other that we still loved each other and didn’t allow it to harm the family.

Everyone wants a closer happier family… build a private page and communicate a good message to each other. You might be surprised about how good it can get.