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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
